York Regional Forest - Bendor and Graves Tract Controlled Burn

On April 22, 2024, York Region successfully completed a controlled burn of a tallgrass prairie in the York Regional Forest Bendor and Graves Tract at 17858 McCowan Road in the Town of East Gwillimbury. 

Controlled burns provide the same effect as natural wildfires but with minimal risk. These carefully set and managed fires burn relatively quickly and are lit in such a way that they self-extinguish. The fire consumes dried grasses and leaves but does not harm larger trees. 

A controlled burn is a restoration tool used to help maintain and protect tallgrass prairies like the one found at the Bendor and Graves Tract created in partnership with Tallgrass Ontario in 2014. These burns reduce invasive plants and promote desirable plant growth of species like butterfly milkweed and little bluestem that make up the tallgrass prairie, home to many birds, wildlife and pollinators including the monarch butterfly. 

To help protect this sensitive habitat, visitors are asked to stay on the trails.

For more information visit york.ca/ControlledBurn