Forty-six registrants from 23 different agencies will be participating in Canada’s third annual Prairie Prescribed Fire Exchange Training Event, running from October 16th-20th.

Renny Grilz, Resource Managment Officer at Meewasin, says at the event, organizations such as Meewasin Valley Authority, the City of Saskatoon, the United States Forest Service, and the Government of Saskatchewan will learn how small, prescribed burns can be used as a land management tool.

Grilz says prescribed burns can reduce shrub cover, decrease weed encroachment, rejuvenate grasslands, or enhance the site for a species at risk that requires shifting sand dunes, such as the smooth goose foot plant and the Gibson’s Big Sand Tiger Beetle.

Twenty-five sites throughout the Saskatoon area were selected to be burned for said reasons. They include the Beaver Creek Conservation area, Cranberry Flats, and the Northeast Swale.

Because the training model was originally developed in the United States, three trainers from the U.S. will be brought in to lead the course. Grilz says before the team burns any of the 25 selected areas, environmental threats such as strong winds will be considered. If the weather isn’t fit for a specific burn, the team will either move to a different site or initiate classroom lessons instead.