The Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) has launched its 2024 bird survey, now including nine farms practicing regenerative agriculture across Manitoba.
This year's survey, in collaboration with the Manitoba Wildlife Branch and the Manitoba Important Bird Area Program, aims to understand how these practices support bird populations, especially species at risk.
Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health and natural habitats, proving beneficial for birds like the Bobolink and Sprague's Pipit.
The survey is part of a wider effort to demonstrate the positive impacts of sustainable farming methods on wildlife and ecosystem health.
This year, the survey has expanded from four to nine farms, covering a variety of operations including mixed, forage/beef, dairy, grain, bison, and sheep farms.
This diverse inclusion helps provide a broader view of how different farming practices influence local bird species.
Mike Duguid, MFGA Chair, noted encouraging results from last year's survey, which motivated more farmers to participate. "The results were super encouraging, in fact, so much so that five more farms from our MFGA Board table put their hands up to be part this year after our inaugural survey last year was capped at four farms."
He emphasized that farms practicing regenerative agriculture often experience increased bird diversity, which is an indicator of overall farm health.
The farms involved in the survey are not only from typical agricultural areas but also include non-traditional farms, which provides unique data on bird populations in various environments.
"The MFGA motivation is simple," said Duguid, whose Interlake-region mixed farm will be part of the 2024 survey. "Many of our MFGA farms in our 2024 survey are non-stereotypical farms that are not traditionally looked at for determining bird abundance, while others simply fall outside the usual areas often relied upon to determine bird counts on Manitoba agriculture lands."
Each farm's practices are documented, and the results are shared with the farmers, offering them insights into how their practices impact biodiversity.
The data collected includes the species detected, their numbers, and their proximity to the observer. This data will help illustrate the importance of regenerative agriculture for supporting diverse bird populations.
The findings will be presented at the 2024 MFGA Regenerative Agriculture Conference and will contribute to ongoing efforts to promote biodiversity, habitat conservation, and soil health in agricultural practices.
This initiative not only supports the conservation of bird species but also educates and encourages farmers to adopt practices that benefit both their farms and the environment.
By participating in such surveys, farmers can directly see the impact of their work on wildlife and contribute to broader environmental goals.
The survey is made possible with the cooperation of many groups, the leadership and expertise of Tim Poole and the in-kind contribution of Manitoba Wildlife Department as well as the keen eyes of Manitoba Important Bird Area 's Marissa Berard and Meredith Stoesz.
"We will use this data to calculate the abundance per point count for each species," said Berard. "This data will be used to demonstrate the importance of different regenerative agricultural systems for various bird species."