A prescribed burn in High Park Black Oak Savannah will be taking place in March when the weather is favourable.
Burns take place every year to maintain the savannahs. Ray Vendrig, Manager of Urban Forestry for Toronto, says that the there only remains around one per cent of the original population of the biome in Ontario, with High Park having a high concentration.
The burning can only take place on days that are sunny, not very windy and not damp. Vindrig says these conditions are necessary to allow the fires to burn clearly and to minimize the risk of starting fires elsewhere in the park.
While the maintenance of the plant life in the savannah’s is important, so is preserving tradition. Vendrig says that four years ago, the City partnered with the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle for that reason. The Stewardship Circle intends to repeat the sunrise ceremony they held last year.
