- Niagara Parks’ annual prescribed burn program to take place on selected dates from March through to the end of May across Niagara Parks sites
- Since 2008, Niagara Parks has used prescribed burns to restore native prairie and savannah habitat
- For more information on Niagara Parks invasive species management, visit niagaraparks.com/stewardship
Niagara Falls, ON – Niagara Parks has begun its annual prescribed burn program for the 2025 season, using controlled fire to manage several natural areas on selected dates over the next two months.
The 2024 program saw great success at its five burn locations, including two of the largest sites, completed back-to-back in just two days. Despite the wet April weather, the burn season was wrapped within the first week of the month, making it one of the most efficient yet. This year, the team will target eight burn locations across the Niagara River corridor. Final dates will be determined based on weather and atmospheric conditions, with burns starting in the late morning and fully extinguished by late afternoon.
For over a decade, Niagara Parks has successfully conducted prescribed burns on its lands as a key part of its environmental stewardship role. These controlled burns promote the regeneration of native prairie grasses and plants, returning nutrients to the soil while reducing invasive and non-native species that threaten biodiversity.
The following prescribed burns have been identified for the 2025 program:
- Chippawa Battlefield
- South Plains
- Whirlpool Golf Course
- Legends Golf Course
- Lilac Gardens
- Legacy Garden
- Whirlpool Slope
- Paradise Grove
Prescribed Burns for Grassland Management
To mimic the natural process of fire, prescribed burning has been developed as an effective tool to manage natural areas. Fire helps control the spread of invasive species, encourage the germination of dormant native seeds within the soil, and return important nutrients back into the earth. These native grasslands are dependent on fire as a management and maintenance strategy.
Niagara Parks has been using prescribed burns to manage its grassland habitats since 2008, starting with Paradise Grove, a rare black oak savannah in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Since 2016, Niagara Parks has been actively restoring the 50-hectare (120 acre) Chippawa Battlefield property into a native prairie habitat, which supports grassland-dependent bird species and numerous other wildlife. Today, the grasslands at Chippawa Battlefield serve as essential habitat for the bobolink and eastern meadowlark, two bird species which had previously disappeared from the Niagara region.
Niagara Parks boasts a trained burn crew of 30 individuals, all of whom have completed RX-100 certification, and three burn bosses who are RX-200 certified. These professionals ensure that every burn is conducted with the utmost precision, safety, and ecological benefit.
Environmental Stewardship at Niagara Parks
Stewardship of the natural environment has always been a central element of Niagara Parks’ mandate and operations. Niagara Parks continuously seeks innovative and sustainable solutions to minimize our environmental footprint. Today, invasive species present some of the most pressing and potentially destructive threats to Ontario’s natural environment and indigenous wildlife. While new invasive threats can arrive at any time, Niagara Parks is currently focused on fighting the insects and plants that pose the most immediate and significant threats.
For more information on Niagara Parks’ invasive species management, visit niagaraparks.com/stewardship.
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