ALC: Burn at Boyd Pond Park

Photo by Sarah Bridges

Photo by Ghia Quino

On January 24th, a team of prescribed burning professionals and volunteers completed a 46-acre prescribed burn at Boyd Pond Park, a popular public park located in Aiken County. The burn took place in the portion of Boyd Pond Park owned by Aiken Land Conservancy and managed by Aiken County Government, where mountain biking and hiking trails wind through the forest.

Photo by Frank Morelli

The carefully planned and executed burn reduced fuels that had built-up over decades, reducing wildfire risk while allowing light to again reach the forest floor. Native plant species, mature longleaf pines, and a wide variety of wildlife species will benefit from the restoration of fire to this fire-adapted ecosystem. ALC staff and volunteers will be monitoring the post-fire effects to document the impact of the burn on fire-adapted bird species such as Northern bobwhite, brown-headed nuthatch, and Eastern towhee. None of these species were observed within the burn unit during last year's pre-burn bird surveys.

ALC is grateful to the support of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative, who provided the funding support for this burn to take place, and to Aiken County staff who worked with us every step of the way. Thanks also goes to Black Magic Land Management, who safely and professionally reintroduced fire to a habitat where it had long been absent.