"An Unlikely Prescription"
By Kevin Bratcher
The scene at the intersection of York Blvd. and Old Guelph Rd. is one you’d normally associate with disaster. Dead plants, scorch marks and burnt tree stumps mar what might otherwise have been a green patch of land. It’s certainly not the sort of sight you’d immediately associate with a project aimed at plant life conservation. But that’s exactly the purpose of the project carried out by the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario on Monday, April 12th.
Lindsay Burtenshaw, one of RBG’s terrestrial ecologists, commented yesterday on the prescribed burn project and its background. RBG estimates that only 1% of Hamilton’s native grasses are still alive today due to development and various invasive species of grasses and trees. RBG’s burn program in this area is seeking to protect the growth of oak savannah and tallgrass prairies, which provide food and protection for a number of animals including the American badger.
RBG first started using controlled burning to protect native grasses in 2002 and has since used the same technique as many as 6 times on some of the land nearby. Asked about the safety of controlled burns for the local population and animal life, Burtenshaw stated that the company they worked with, Lands and Forests Consulting, took extra precautions to ensure safety. RBG staff also searched the targeted areas ahead of time to ensure that nesting birds and other animals were not endangered by the fires.
When asked whether environmental enthusiasts have objected to these burning projects, Burtenshaw stated with some relief that no major objections had yet been raised. In general, said Burtenshaw, people who asked about the burns understand that the project is designed to protect a very endangered group of plant species unique to the Hamilton area.
Video of the Burn site
"Interview with Lindsay Burtenshaw"
Links:
Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanical Gardens burn project
