The following three organizations and researchers have been awarded one of Nature Manitoba’s Native Habitat Grants for 2026:
Rockwood Environmental Action Community Taskforce (REACT) Inc.
R.E.A.C.T. Inc. is a long-standing volunteer-driven environmental organization dedicated to strengthening ecological stewardship in Stonewall and the surrounding area. They are active in the stewardship of the Ruby Roe Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, 2.25 acres of remnant prairie located in Stonewall.
They plan to use the Nature Manitoba Habitat Grant funding to support prescribed burns and weed management, essential activities for restoration and long-term stewardship of the Ruby Roe prairie.
Dr. Richard Westwood, Dept. of Environmental Studies and Sciences, University of Winnipeg
Native Habitat Grant funding will help support field data collection to determine the genetic structure and soil-fungal partnerships of the endangered Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (WPFO) in Manitoba.
The research will produce a more complete understanding of the genetic structure of the Manitoba WPFO population, and its relationship to southern populations of the species. It will also help determine the mycorrhizal fungal partners of the WPFO in Manitoba and the soil conditions that foster a strong symbiotic relationship between the orchid, fungi and the soil which are completely unknown in the Canadian population.
Friends of the Living Prairie Museum
In 2023, their project to establish the Native Tall Grass Prairie Seed Plots at the Living Prairie Museum was awarded one of our first Native Habitat Grants. In 2025, they received additional grant funding to maintain the native plants within the seed plots and ensure a high level of seed production for future years.
Living Prairie Museum Seed Plots photo by Marilyn Latta
In 2026, they are receiving grant funding to continue to support the new planting and early summer maintenance work (weeding, mulching, etc.) during the critical period from mid-May through the end of June, when volunteers and summer students are the least available.