What are the ways to make a lasting contribution to conservation?

Two examples of recent habitat donations are presented here. Stuart and Hilda Sexton decided to make an outright land donation, and transferred title of their island on Whitewater Lake to MHHC. By comparison, Don Sjoberg retained ownership of his land but donated a conservation agreement to permanently protect habitat on his property north of Minnedosa.

Sexton’s Make Land Donation

Sexton’s Island, a well-known landmark on Whitewater Lake, is now permanently protected as a wildlife habitat thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Stuart and Hilda Sexton.

The island has been in the Sexton family since 1887. Cattle were herded across each spring for seasonal grazing. In dry years, cattle grazed the entire 220 acres and in wet times, the island shrunk, sometimes leaving as little as 45 acres above water.

"The island has remained in a near natural state and is an extremely valuable wildlife habitat for birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians," says Lorne Colpitts, chief executive officer of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. "It has the potential to support 240 species of birds during nesting and migration."

In the eyes of this one farm family, the habitat was seen as a valuable resource for wildlife and human enjoyment rather than as a nuisance and wasteland. The Sexton’s decision to give farmland back to nature reminds us all of the important role that private landowners play in conservation. They have made a major contribution to habitat conservation in southwestern Manitoba.

Editorial in the Boissevain Recorder, August 18, 1999.

Don Sjoberg Donates Conservation Agreement

Since childhood, Don Sjoberg has always thought of the quarter section of land that he owns southeast of Erickson as a nature retreat and a place where he seeks solace from a busy world. "Originally the quarter-section of land was owned by my uncle," Sjoberg said. "I used to hunt on it as a kid, and my dad knew I was interested in it. My father bought it from my uncle’s estate and gave it to me."

That was about 32 years ago. Now living in Winnipeg, Sjoberg has decided to permanently protect the property by donating a 130-acre conservation agreement to the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. Learning about conservation agreements at the MHHC booth at the Brandon Winter Fair, Sjoberg’s wife said, "That’s exactly what we want to do." The land is pretty much in its natural state and the Sjobergs wanted to ensure it stayed that way as much as possible.

The land is mostly bush, a mixture of aspen and willow with some white spruce. There’s also an open water area that is home to a variety of plants and animals. Small, open meadows provide added diversity.

Sjoberg has remained connected to this land, and his four children, who visited the property every summer when they were young, have also formed an attachment. He often returns for a fall visit, too. "I still love the feel of the hunt," Sjoberg said. "I enjoy just walking and observing the birds and stalking an animal. I may shoot one partridge if there is sufficient number, just to have a taste." Just in case his children or other future owners want to build a cabin there in the future, fourteen acres of the property were left out of the conservation agreement.

Having protected his nature retreat since childhood, Don Sjoberg is happy knowing his property is now permanently protected, even when the land eventually changes hands.

Adapted from a news story in the Brandon Sun, February 25, 2001.

The following comparison will help you sort out the differences.

*The Conservation Agreements Act in Manitoba includes MHHC among several public and private, not-for-profit organizations as eligible holders of conservation agreements. MHHC can provide a list of eligible CA holders in Manitoba.