Cattail Eco-Heroes

On the rolling Saskatchewan prairie, about 70 miles east of the city of Saskatoon, sits a pleasant community of 6000 people named Humboldt. It was here that in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, a remarkable scientist conducted an equally remarkable experiment, the results of which have impacted many communities around the world. Dr. G. Lakshman, a researcher at the Saskatchewan Research Council in the 1970’s and 80’s, conducted a series of studies funded by the Government of Saskatchewan and Ducks Unlimited. Lakshman’s team made some stunning discoveries regarding two very humble plants, the cattail and the bulrush.