Restoration work continues on Brantford grassland habitat

Prescribed burn to take place, public information session to be held in March

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), in partnership with the City of Brantford, is focused on helping grassland habitats make a comeback in southern Ontario. Grassland habitats support a number of grassland-specific bird species including the Eastern Meadowlark– a threatened species that has been recorded in and around the City of Brantford.

As part of the restoration work, a prescribed burn is scheduled to take place on GRCA property along Birkett Lane in Brantford sometime between late March and the end of April. The exact date is not known as the burn must take place when weather conditions allow. There must be several days of dry weather in advance of the burn, and there must be little to no wind on the burn day.

Public information session

An information session about the restoration project and the prescribed burn will be held on Monday, March 4, 2019 at Doug Snooks Eagle Place Community Centre (333 Erie Ave, Brantford) from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. GRCA Natural Heritage Specialist Kevin Tupman will talk about the upcoming prescribed burn, as well as provide an overview of the entire restoration project.

More information about the prescribed burn

About 9.5 hectares will be burned. The burn will be conducted by the Prescribed Burn Unit from Lands & Forests Consulting. The company strictly follows the intensive Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry guidelines for prescribed burning to ensure safety and effectiveness. Natural firebreaks will be used to protect adjacent properties and contain the burn within GRCA land. City of Brantford municipal government, nearby property owners, the fire department and police service will be notified. The fire department will be notified of the exact time of the prescribed burn, once it is known. Signs will be posted at the site on the day of the burn. The public is reminded to obey all signage in the area. Fire and smoke may be visible for up to four hours and will be easily seen from the surrounding area.

The goal of the prescribed burn is to reduce native woody plants and non-native grasses, so that the proportion of native grasses will increase. Native species can tolerate fire, so burning the land clears out non-native species. Fire also releases important nutrients into the soil, which promotes growth and increases seed yields of native wildflowers and grasses.

Background information on stewardship project

The purpose of the ongoing stewardship project on this property is to improve the quality of grassland habitat on the site for Eastern Meadowlark, as well as other songbirds and pollinators that depend on this type of habitat.

The ongoing grassland improvement project is being carried out on this property, as well as in portions of Brant Park, and was initiated in 2017 with the approval of a twenty year habitat compensation agreement between the GRCA and the City of Brantford. The agreement provides for the stewardship of 16.3 hectares of tallgrass prairie habitat – habitat that is often home to the Eastern Meadowlark. Currently considered a threatened species, at risk of becoming endangered, this songbird thrives in tall grassland habitat similar to that found near the John Wright Soccer Complex along Birkett Lane.

For more information on this project or to learn more about grassland stewardship, visit www.grandriver.ca/GrasslandStewardship.

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Note to editors: If you would like to send a reporter or photographer to cover the burn, please contact us to make arrangements in advance.

Media Contacts: 

Lisa Stocco, GRCA Manager of Communications
Phone 519-621-2763 x2316  |  Email lstocco@grandriver.ca

Cam Linwood, GRCA Communications Coordinator
Phone 519-621-2763 x2251  |  Email clinwood@grandriver.ca