9

What was my motivation? As a long time naturalist I was, and am, committed to the need for preserving natural ecosystems and of the importance of fieldwork in education. I used the Living Prairie Museum site quite frequently when teaching ecology. It is close enough to the University campus to be used in an afternoon lab slot. I also organized field trips for the Junior Naturalists of the Manitoba Naturalist's Society, Girl Guides, etc.

10

I have an affection for the St. James prairie, it was our first IBP (CT) success. Others were slow to follow. In fact, it soon became clear that we needed legislation to enable sites on Crown Land and elsewhere to be protected. During the process of obtaining legislation there were five changes in those holding the Minister of Natural Resources portfolio, and it was not until 1981 that the Ecological Reserves Act, Bill 39 was passed. By then we had six Ecological Reserves.