A successful weekend for the newest Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) property in southwest Saskatchewan.

12 volunteers took to the Wideview property on Saturday to participate in a BioBlitz to help the NCC conserve the property and to protect at-risk animals and plant life.

"It (the BioBlitz) went great," said Ashley Rankin, Engagement Coordinator for the Nature Conservancy of Canada - Saskatchewan Region. "It was a well-attended event, we had great weather and we were able to identify nine species-at-risk on the property."

Some of the identified species-at-risk on the property include bobolink, showy milkweed, pincushion cactus, Sprague's pipit, Baird's sparrow and sharp-tailed grouse.

"Once I saw the property I was blown away and I think everyone was (who attended the BioBlitz)," Rankin explained. "We're so lucky we're able to conserve this property and we're going to be able to conserve it in perpetuity especially with its location. Although it isn't contiguous with Grasslands National Park, it is between east and west block and it is contiguous with other intact native prairie land that will be conserved in perpetuity. In terms of banking large tracts of grasslands, this is a huge success for the NCC, the province and ranchers."

Alongside the group of volunteers that attended the BioBlitz, the NCC had staff on site for the duration of last week to help track what wildlife is living on the property.

"The next step is making a detailed species inventory," Rankin told Swift Current Online. "Once we get through (all the data we've recorded) and are able to precisely identify what we have seen and we're confident with it, we will make our species inventory or improve upon the initial one we had from when we purchased the property. Then we will continue onto making our property management plans."

The Wideview property features more than 3,000 acres of native grasslands that was purchased in March with a major contribution from the Government of Canada.