Officials with the Essex Region Conservation Authority will conduct a prescribed burn at Hillman Marsh today.
Director of Conservation Services Kevin Money says they've been waiting for a few dry, warm days in the forecast and can't wait any longer or else the prairie snakes could wake up.
"Prairie habitat, if left alone, will eventually succeed into a shrub thicket and then turn into a forest," says Money. "Natural disturbances, like fire, don't really occur in the Essex region anymore, so we have to mimic those types of disturbances."
Since the prairie is only 12 acres, the burn is only expected to take a few hours.
Some endangered species, like Eastern Fox Snake, rely on the prairie for its survival.
