Burning in Barnwell

Barnwell State Park prescribed burn on February 24, 2026.

Barnwell State Park harbors stands of mature longleaf pine, areas of healthy groundcover, and species adapted to frequently burned ecosystems. However, the upland areas of the park had gone a long time without fire and needed it badly. Aiken Land Conservancy has led multiple hikes at the wonderful park and recognized that there could be an opportunity to work with South Carolina State Parks to get fire on the ground.

Aiken Land Conservancy (ALC) met with State Parks staff and offered to help get a burn in place thanks to grant funding they had available through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative. Fast forward six months, and what was once just an idea became a reality.

On February 24th, staff from South Carolina State Parks headquarters joined staff from Barnwell State Park, Aiken Land Conservancy, Black Magic Land Management, The Longleaf Alliance, and Quail Forever to burn 33 acres across two units of Barnwell State Park. ALC staff surveyed for fire-adapted bird species before the burn, and did not document a single fire-adapted bird species during the survey. During the breeding season, ALC will host a hike at the park to allow members of the public to help survey for birds, especially Eastern Towhee, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Summer Tanager.

We are very excited to see this gorgeous, mature longleaf habitat to provide better and better habitat to birds through the years!