Robinson Forest: Prescribed Fire

Grand River Greenway

The burn unit at Robinson Forest encompasses the same area that was burned in 2019 which includes approximately 35 acres of overstocked oak savanna. Thank you for sharing, Asia Rasch!

As part of the long-term land management of Robinson Forest, a prescribed fire was completed on the property in late May. Kanouse Outdoor Restoration was contracted to work with Parks staff to ensure a safe and effective burn. The burn this spring was the third conducted by the Parks at this site, with previous fires taking place in 2015 and 2019. Positive effects have been seen, including the encouragement of desirable fire-loving plant species like wild lupine, but oaks and other vegetation require additional thinning to reach our management goals.

Isn’t fire destructive? 

On the contrary, fire can be restorative for our native ecosystems. In our region, many of our landscapes and the wildlife who inhabit them, rely on fire to survive. Wildfire is naturally occurring in these fire-adapted natural community types and was utilized by native Americans for thousands of years, but because uncontrolled wildfire can be dangerous, particularly to humans, we have become very good at suppressing it. While beneficial for society, suppressing a natural process is tough on wildlife who thrive in a habitat dependent on flames. The idea behind prescribed fire is to mimic a natural process in a safe and controlled manner.

For more info, visit: news.miottawa.org/prescribed-fire