Woodland Maintenance taking place in parks across Burlington this summer
The City of Burlington is completing invasive species removals, as well as plant and tree maintenance in Burloak Park and Mohawk Park this summer.
Mohawk Park
To keep Mohawk Park’s woodlot healthy and sustainable, the City will be carrying out maintenance work between summer 2025 and summer 2026 in partnership with Conservation Halton, guided by the 2025 Woodlot Management Strategy
What’s Happening:
Summer 2025: Targeted basal bark application of invasive buckthorn shrubs with herbicide.
Fall 2025 (October–November): Removal of invasive buckthorn shrubs to prevent them from overtaking native vegetation, and to maintain safety and improve forest health.
Spring 2026: Collaboration with Conservation Halton to replant native species and remove invasive species in the understory.
Summer 2026: A follow-up stump painting treatment to control buckthorn growth and replanting with native species to restore biodiversity.
Timing:
All invasive species treatments are to occur prior to start of the new school year to ensure no students are present during treatment application.
Burloak Park
What’s Happening:
Areas of the park, including the woodland and shoreline will be treated following the City’s integrated pest management practices. Integrated pest management is an environmentally responsible approach to managing invasive species and protecting native plans and trees. Integrated pest management work includes:
Careful site monitoring
Manual and mechanical removal
Limited, targeted herbicide use (only where necessary)
Long-term follow-up and native habitat restoration
Crews will be removing Japanese Knotweed in the woodland and planting new native trees to replace dead or dying ones. New trees have already been planted, and a significant amount of weeds and thistles have been removed. Phragmites will be removed by the shoreline to help improve waterflow and make room for native vegetation.
Park visitors may notice more crews and some additional noise in the park as work progresses.
Timing:
All work is scheduled with consideration of events taking place in the park over the summer and fall months to limit the impact on visitors.
Why This Work is Needed:
Urban forests can’t be left completely unmanaged. Environmental pressures, the presence of invasive species, and the proximity to urban areas require careful monitoring to keep the ecosystem balanced and thriving.
The City thanks residents for their patience as we work to restore native plant life, improve habitats for birds and pollinators and keep public areas safe and accessible.
