Built on Partnerships, Guided by Fire

Renny. W. Grilz, PAg

Director of Conservation,

Meewasin Valley Authority

What does it take to bring fire back to the prairie and inspire an entire community to embrace it? For more than 30 years, Renny W. Grilz has been answering that question, building a career at the intersection of conservation, mentorship, and collaboration. From his first prescribed burns as a high school student in rural Saskatchewan to leading landscape-scale restoration efforts with the Meewasin Valley Authority and helping found the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange (CPPFE), Renny has witnessed the transformative power of fire and the people behind it. In this edition of Faces of Fire, he shares the lessons learned from decades on the fireline, the mentors who shaped his journey, and why he believes prescribed fire is ultimately about trust, partnerships, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

My journey with prescribed fire began while I was still in high school in rural Saskatchewan. In the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to work with the University of Saskatchewan, where Dr. Jim Romo introduced me to the science and ecology of prescribed burning. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong passion for fire, but they also taught me one of the most important lessons of my career: prescribed fire is built on partnerships.

The University burns brought together people from many different organizations, including Meewasin and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Even at that early stage, I could see that no single organization could accomplish this work alone. Everyone brought different knowledge, equipment, experience, and perspectives to the fireline. That collaborative spirit left a lasting impression on me and continues to shape how I approach conservation today.

In the late 1990s, I joined Ducks Unlimited Canada in Manitoba, where I had the privilege of learning alongside Robin Hamilton. Those burns became an apprenticeship in both the technical and human sides of prescribed fire. Robin taught me the importance of careful planning, communication, teamwork, adaptability, and respect for the landscape. Every burn required confidence, but also humility; the understanding that nature is always in charge.

That mentorship has continued throughout my career. More recently, I have had the opportunity to learn from and burn alongside Kody Wohlers in the Loess Hills of Iowa. Watching Kody build one of North America's most successful prescribed fire partnership networks has been incredibly inspiring. Working alongside landowners, agencies, conservation organizations, fire departments, and volunteers in the Loess Hills reinforced that the greatest successes in prescribed fire come when communities work together toward a common purpose. Those experiences continue to influence how I think about building prescribed fire capacity across the Canadian Prairies.

Today, I serve as Director of Conservation with the Meewasin Valley Authority, where I lead a team responsible for conserving and restoring more than 6,700 hectares of natural areas along the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Our work integrates prescribed fire, targeted grazing, ecological restoration, invasive species management, native seed development, ecological monitoring, and public education to restore resilient prairie ecosystems within an urban landscape.

One of the most rewarding moments of my career was helping bring prescribed fire back to Saskatoon Natural Grasslands in 2025 after a 20-year absence. Seeing fire once again move across that prairie, and watching the community embrace the project, was incredibly meaningful. It demonstrated that prescribed fire has an important place not only on remote rangelands, but also within urban conservation landscapes where it can improve biodiversity while reconnecting people with the natural processes that shaped our prairies.

Renny with Kody Wohlers and Kerry Hecker at a burn in Iowa in 2024.

Photo Credit: Renny Grilz, PAg

None of that work happens alone. Meewasin's prescribed fire program is built on partnerships with organizations including the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Saskatchewan Parks, the University of Saskatchewan, the City of Saskatoon, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Aberdeen Community Pasture, Saskatoon Public School Division, and many others. Every partner contributes something unique, whether it's people, equipment, knowledge, research, training, or simply a willingness to work together. The success of our program belongs to everyone involved.

That same philosophy led to the creation of the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange (CPPFE). As one of its founding members, I've been fortunate to help grow CPPFE from an idea shared by a small group of passionate practitioners into a collaborative network spanning the Canadian Prairies and connected to partners across North America. Today, Meewasin proudly hosts CPPFE, and I help provide strategic leadership as we continue expanding training opportunities, research, mentorship, equipment sharing, and partnerships that are rebuilding prescribed fire capacity across western Canada.

Renny Grilz, PAg with Burner Bob at the

Prescribed Burn Association Take-Over during the Association of Fire Ecology Conference in New Orleans in December 2025.

Photo Credit: Renny Grilz, PAg

After more than three decades around prescribed fire, I still get excited every time a drip torch is lit. Fire is one of nature's greatest renewal tools, but successful prescribed fire is ultimately about people. It depends on trust, mentorship, shared responsibility, and long-term relationships.

One lesson I've learned is that no matter how many burns you've been on, you're always a student of fire. Every landscape is different. Every weather pattern is different. Every burn teaches something new. Some of the greatest lessons come from the people beside you on the fireline, whether they are seasoned practitioners, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, ranchers, researchers, or someone attending their very first burn.

That's what I love most about the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange. It creates opportunities for all of us to learn together. I'm grateful to the mentors who invested in me throughout my career, and I hope to do the same for the next generation of prescribed fire practitioners. As we continue building fire capacity across the Prairies, I'll always approach each burn with curiosity, humility, and the mindset that there is still something new to learn.

“Because in prescribed fire, the learning never stops; we are always stronger when we work together.”-Renny Grilz, PAg