The Sacred Flame: How Controlled Burns at the Royal Botanical Gardens Help Restore Balance to the Land

Hamilton Spectator

26-04-2025

At the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG), controlled burns are more than just a land management tool; they are a deeply sacred process that restores ecological balance and honours the land itself. For David Galbraith, the director of science at RBG, controlled burning is part of an ancient understanding of how humans and nature work together to maintain harmony.
'We know that Indigenous people were managing the landscape long before Europeans arrived,' Galbraith explains. 'They were using fire as a tool for agriculture and for maintaining grasslands. This isn't a new idea — it's an old one, and we're learning to bring it back into practice.'
Since 1971, RBG has been conducting controlled burns every couple of years as part of an ongoing effort to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems. Prior to the controlled burn this week at Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary, the most recent burn at this location occurred in 2023. These carefully planned burns are designed to manage invasive species and encourage the regrowth of native plants, creating a balanced and thriving ecosystem.
On the day of the controlled burn, which took place at the Princess Point and North Shore Landing areas at Cootes Paradise on April 23, each area was carefully prepared with the help of volunteers. Before the fire even starts, RBG volunteers conduct a thorough check of the scrub and surrounding land to ensure that no wildlife is at risk. Birds, frogs, toads, and even caterpillars are safely relocated to a safe zone to prevent any harm during the process. The fire itself is an intentional and controlled burn that targets invasive species, such as Phragmites — a tall, aggressive grass that outcompetes native plants and threatens local ecosystems.
'Phragmites is a terrible invader,' says Galbraith. 'It grows tall, up to 10 feet, and crowds out everything else. We have to do a lot to stop it, and sometimes, that means using fire. But controlled burns help us manage it, allowing native species to reclaim the space.'
Lands and Forests Consulting, the company contracted to execute this controlled burn, is tasked with creating firebreaks — strips of land cleared of fuel such as grass and leaves — to prevent the fire from spreading beyond its intended area.
'A firebreak is purposefully removing the fuel around the edge of the fire,' Galbraith explains. 'You need to control where the fire goes, and make sure it only burns where it's needed.' The fire clears the land of invasive species, creating space for native plants to regenerate from the 'seed bank,' which consists of seeds naturally stored in the soil.
'Something is amazing about the seed bank,' Galbraith says. 'Even if the land looks barren, those seeds are still there, waiting. Once the invasive species is removed, those native plants can come back. That's the magic of this process.'
This is part of RBG's broader effort to restore tallgrass prairie and oak savannah ecosystems, habitats that were once prevalent in Ontario. These ecosystems are home to a unique range of plant and animal species, some of which are rare or endangered.
'This is all part of a broader ecological picture,' says Galbraith. 'We're trying to nudge the ecosystem in a direction that promotes balance and health, using fire as one tool among many.'
The idea of using fire as a tool for ecological restoration is rooted in the understanding that the land is sacred and must be treated with respect. It is a concept that Indigenous peoples have known for thousands of years and one that modern science is slowly rediscovering. 'People need the land, but the land needs the people,' Galbraith reflects. 'We can't just take from the land; we must help it heal, too.'
The balance RBG is striving for is visible in some of its most iconic success stories. 'The most magnificent thing we've got to show how well it's come back is the bald eagles that are nesting here at Cootes Paradise Marsh,' Galbraith says. 'Bald eagles came off the Ontario endangered species list two years ago...it's giving nature a chance to come back.'
Even Grindstone Creek in Burlington, which has seen significant renewal, is a testament to the success of RBG's approach. 'At the right time of the year, in the fall, you can see salmon swimming upstream into Burlington,' Galbraith adds proudly.
What ties all of this together is the community's vital role in learning, supporting, and protecting these natural spaces. 'Hopefully [we are] getting people to love it and stay engaged with it,' Galbraith emphasizes. 'Because if the people aren't engaged with this, it has no future. People are what keep the parks open, functioning, and a part of the community. We want the allies.'
In this context, controlled burns like the one at Princess Point are just one chapter in RBG's evolving narrative — a story where science meets stewardship, fire gives way to bloom, and people rediscover their role in nature's ongoing restoration.
Click here to see a video of some of the controlled burn.
As Galbraith shares, 'When I was in university, we never talked about the role of fire in the landscape. But now, we're starting to learn again. We're learning how to work with the land, just as Indigenous peoples did for thousands of years.'
Ultimately, these controlled burns are about much more than managing invasive species. They represent a profound effort to return the land to its rightful balance. With each flame, the land is allowed to heal, regenerate, and honour the wisdom of those who understood its power long before modern science caught up.