Controlled burns in Beaver Creek area aim to help maintain prairie ecosystems

Saskatoon Public Schools’ Brightwater EcoScience and Indigenous Learning Centre will be overseeing controlled burns this week.

You may notice smoke in the air around the Beaver Creek area, about 15 kilometers south of the city, but the burning is being done intentionally in order to manage vegetation on the land and keep the natural ecosystems healthy.

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The Brightwater EcoScience and Indigenous Learning Centre is a land-based learning site that provides hands-on education opportunities for Saskatoon students. It includes 60 acres of forest, a spring-fed creek and native prairie grassland, which is considered one the most endangered ecosystems on the planet.

If you see smoke in the Beaver Creek area – don’t panic!
There’s a controlled burn going on this week 🔥🧯

Here’s what we know ⤵️ @CKOMNews @CKOMMorningShow pic.twitter.com/BvZR4hmWLZ

— Alex Brown (@AlexBrownYXE) October 21, 2024

The burns will be taking place between Monday and Friday, in co-operation with the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange. The exchange brings together multiple organizations, including the Meewasin Valley Authority, Wanuskewin, Saskatchewan Parks, and the City of Saskatoon, to share resources, engage in training, and safely conduct prescribed burns.

This is the first time fire will be applied to this parcel of land since Saskatoon Public Schools acquired it from the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation in 1997.

Prior to colonization, human-generated fires occurred regularly on the land, used by Indigenous people to help maintain healthy ecosystems and bring grazing animals to the fresh plant growth that follows a burn.

The school division said that if a controlled burn doesn’t happen, the land could be overtaken by invasive plants or woody shrubs that displace the prairie plants.

Residents may notice the smoke this week, and are asked to refrain from driving over to take a closer look in order to keep the road open for regular traffic and vehicles supporting the controlled burns.

In the weeks leading up to the burning project, students from Saskatoon Public Schools science classes have been visiting the site to collect data about biodiversity and plant biomass in the sites.

Following the burn, students will collect data again at regular intervals to measure the impact on Brightwater’s plant life.