Bob Creek Ranch
Bob Creek Ranch (Photo by Sean Feagan / NCC Staff)
Your support is the key to conserving one of the most endangered and under-protected ecosystems on Earth: Prairie grasslands. Bob Creek Ranch offers a vital opportunity for you to conserve essential ecological services, maintain critical habitats, ensure wildlife connectivity, and support sustainable land management practices in the Prairie grasslands. This project not only furthers conservation efforts in Alberta, but builds upon a historic legacy of collaboration between the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and the Waldron Co-Operative since 2013.
The ecological significance of Bob Creek Ranch
Located in Alberta’s southern foothills, Bob Creek Ranch covers 1,027 hectares between the Bob Creek Wildland Park and Porcupine Hills Forest Reserve. This ranch enhances the region’s protected areas by more than 1,000 hectares and serves as a vital link connecting grasslands that are crucial for wildlife migration. Its diverse ecosystems, from montane ridges to riparian zones and fescue grasslands, offer invaluable ecological services. The rugged fescue grasslands naturally filter water, sequester carbon, maintain soil integrity and provide sustenance for both cattle and wildlife. Additionally, its extensive waterways, including four kilometres of Bob Creek and two kilometres of Coyote Creek, are essential for downstream filtration, lessening the risk of droughts and floods.
Bob Creek Ranch stands as a beacon of conservation, providing essential connectivity and habitat for numerous species of concern, including grizzly bear, Columbia spotted frog, golden eagle, bull trout and cutthroat trout.
A new chapter in the Waldron legacy
Owned by the Waldron Grazing Co-operative, Bob Creek Ranch marks a significant new chapter in the partnership between NCC and the Waldron. This collaboration began with the landmark 2013 agreement, which conserved 12,357 hectares of the Waldron lands, creating the largest conservation agreement in Canada at the time. In 2015, the acquisition of the adjacent King Ranch added another 1,700 hectares, with an additional agreement placed in 2016.
This inspiring collaboration highlights the significant impact of joint efforts in conserving Canada's natural heritage and in supporting sustainable land stewardship for future generations.
Waldron Co-Operative (Photo by Sean Feagan / NCC Staff)
“The Waldron Grazing Co-op was formed in 1962 by a group of farmers and ranchers to allow its shareholders to gain access to this amazing property, bring their livestock here, and sustain or grow their operations. The Waldron has found a very beneficial partnership with NCC to ensure that these lands will remain just as they are; a beautiful range where cattle and nature can thrive. Not only is it a benefit to the shareholders who are gaining access to more grazing,it’s a win for the entire population and community of Alberta and Canada to know that this land will stay just as it is today.”
– Frank Welsch, Board Chair, Waldron Grazing Co-operative
Invest in the future of Bob Creek Ranch and the Prairie grasslands
Prairie grasslands are a critical priority for conservation. With over 80 per cent of Canada's Prairie grasslands lost, urgent action is needed to prevent further decline. Through the conservation of Bob Creek Ranch, you have an opportunity to secure a future for this invaluable landscape and the diverse life it supports.
Invest in the conservation of Bob Creek Ranch and help write this pivotal next chapter in a remarkable conservation story.
