In 2026, the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture (PHJV) is celebrating 40 years of wetland and waterfowl conservation. However, many of these conservation successes have taken place behind the scenes and largely out of the public eye. We’re working to change that.
The PHJV was one of the first joint ventures established after the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) was finalized. We share the same year of inception – both the NAWMP and the PHJV got their start in 1986. Through key conservation partnerships, a foundation of science, focus on policy, and lessons from human dimensions research we have worked hard to achieve our conservation goals and meet the delivery needs of the NAWMP.
The PHJV includes two ecoregions – the Prairie Parklands and the Western Boreal Forest. The Prairie Parklands represents the Canadian extent of the Prairie Pothole Region, one of the richest, most diverse and unique wetland/grassland ecosystems in the world. The Prairie Parklands ecoregion is home to 13.5 million breeding ducks and provides breeding grounds for 1/3 of continental waterfowl populations. The Western Boreal Forest supports 262 million acres of wetlands and 11.5 million breeding ducks.
The PHJV’s continued dedication to conservation is thanks to key partners, collaborators and supporters. Collectively, we work with federal, provincial, municipal and local governments, Indigenous communities, over 300 non-government organizations (NGOs) and approximately 17,000 landowners within Canada. The PHJV also works with federal and state governments and NGOs in the United States. This broad scope of partnerships allows us to deliver across a massive region that includes four provinces and three territories.
The 2024 NAWMP update called for improved and expanded public engagement, as well as increased education of conservation benefits in order to help drive public support for conservation initiatives.
The PHJV decided to answer this call. As part of our 40th anniversary celebration, we launched our social media presence. In addition to a recently reinvigorated website, we’re now live on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. We’ve also launched a new YouTube channel that will feature content from our communications team and PHJV committees. We want to share our work, but also the work of other JVs and conservation organizations across the continent to show how a unified approach can make real change. By sharing our successes and real-world stories from communities, landowners and partners, we can make that vital connection between people and conservation. It’s the answer to that important (and relevant) question: “Why should I care?”
We don’t want much for our 40th birthday – the greatest gift you can give us is to follow along as we share our story. Links to our social accounts can be found on our website.
Learn more about us and the incredible landscapes and birds we’re working to conserve >>
