Across the past two weeks, the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve was on fire! Our team successfully and safely completed a prescribed burn at the Reserve, an important part of annual reserve management and restoration work. Under our reserve manager Kevin’s experienced guidance, our rangers and Green Mambas worked together to ensure all went to plan. Read more about the use of fire for ecological management in our new story below. .

*Wild Tomorrow’s rangers implementing this year’s controlled burn at the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve*

We are happy to report that Wild Tomorrow Fund has successfully completed our annual ecological burn at The Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve! It’s the dry winter season in southern Africa, which is the ideal time and conditions for controlled fires, but only if the temperature and wind conditions are just right. This year, the timing and weather came together allowing our Reserve Manager, Kevin Jolliffe, to make the call for the burn to go ahead.

When thinking about nurturing biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and mitigating climate change, the use of fire seems rather counterintuitive. However, fires are a natural and necessary occurrence that have shaped ecosystems for 400 million years. Natural fires are the key drivers responsible for shaping savanna ecosystems and limiting the distribution of closed forests particularly in the Godwana continents (South America, Africa, Australia and India). Fire clears out dead vegetation, encroaching bush, and non-native alien plants. It also stimulates new growth and seed germination, while maintaining the balance of various plant and animal populations. For centuries, indigenous communities with profound understanding and connection to the land have used controlled burns to manage ecosystems and enhance the productivity of their territories. Similarly, wildlife reserves serve as sanctuaries for countless species of flora and fauna, and the use of controlled and strategic fire management is vital to the health and sustainability of habitats.

*Our Reserve Manager Kevin carefully planned and monitored the burn, conducted by our rangers and the Green Mambas team.*

As Kevin explains, the controlled burns are also important to reduce the risk of wild fire, “We burn for a number of reasons including fuel load reduction with the fuel being grass and dead woody components. If you don’t remove those, when you do eventually have a wild fire, then it is a much bigger fire”, potentially destructive and dangerous. The main reason for the burn, particularly at the Mfuleni section of our Reserve is to “reduce bush encroachment, to thin out the sickle bush which comes in really densely after cattle have been on the property”. It’s an important process to slowly restore habitat back to a more natural state after changes due to clearing for farming in the past.

*Aerial view of a small controlled burn at the fenceline of Wild Tomorrow’s Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve.*

The annual burn at the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve was a team effort orchestrated by our Reserve Manager Kevin and implemented by our amazing rangers and Green Mambas. The team was able to strategically manage the restorative fires, burning 360 hectares on the Mfuleni section of the Reserve and 460 hectares on Ukuwela.

Fire management is a comprehensive endeavor, as there are many factors that go into its preparation and completion. As such, it was all hands on deck for the burn! Safety is definitely a key factor, and it’s why our team are trained in basic firefighting and equipped with full PPE (personal protection equipment) including goggles and fire resistant overalls. Currently, more training is planned at the end of the fire season to continue to enhance fire safety and our conservation efforts.

We would like to give a special shoutout to our amazing Green Mambas, as this was their first burn! They did a wonderful job with fire clean up and extra monitoring to prevent the unwanted spread of fire. Is there anything these strong Zulu women can’t do? We think not!

*The Green Mambas worked as fire monitors to ensure the fire was well controlled. It’s hard and hot work, but these Zulu ladies are ready for anything!*

Within just a few days after the successful burn, we began to see new life emerge among the ashes in the form of green shoots. These new green, nutrient-rich sprouts provide sustenance to grazers and mixed feeders, including zebra, wildebeest, impala, nyala, reedbuck, and common duiker.

After the excitement of the fire, it’s in these moments that we can truly appreciate the beauty of the circle of life. We are proud to say that this was our best burn season so far, and we hope to have more successful burns to come.

WILD TOMORROW IS ON FIRE