Controlled burn protects birds at Coliseum site

by Sue Serdinak

Where basketball hoops once hung from rims, birds now nest, breed or feed on grasses at the Route 303 property.

On Oct. 24, Cuyahoga Valley National Park conducted a controlled burn on 103 acres where the Coliseum once stood. Local CVNP fire fighters, 10 national park fire experts from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia and members of the Richfield Fire Department managed the burn site.

With extraordinary emphasis on preparedness, about 40 acres were burned in four hours with few difficulties.

The conditions had to be near perfect so no flames escaped the designated area, and a minimum of smoke blew over I-271 and I-80.

After the Coliseum was razed, a shopping center was proposed for the property but never happened. Now dozens of species of birds use the site for nesting, breeding and migrating. Some of the species are listed as declining in population. Controlled burns are important in minimizing invasive plant species that replace the tall grasses birds rely on.

To see the list of birds spotted at the Coliseum grassland site, visit ebird.org/hotspot/L514522. ∞

Featured Photo: Dozens of firefighters who specialize in controlled burns, burned 40 acres of the Coliseum Grassland property in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Photo by S. Serdinak.