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| Prescribed Burns
There are many ways that you can contribute to CERA as a volunteer and learn
more about natural history, natural resource management and restoration, and
environmental education. Volunteer opportunities include seed collecting, seed
cleaning, brush clearing, prescribed burning, photodocumentation, biological data
entry, assisting with elementary school field trips, leading interpretative tours and
wildflower walks, monitoring of field research projects, and other special projects.
View our "Volunteer Opportunities Brochure" (PDF file; 285KB) for more details, or contact
the
CERA Manager to receive email notifications of upcoming opportunities.
The majority of prescribed burns are conducted in the spring (late-March through
early May) and fall (November-December). We have one set of small experimental
prairie plots that receive a summer burn treatment in late August. We plan prescribed
burns for experimental prairie plots each year in the spring and fall and each fall for our
forest plots. Prescribed burns in other areas are determined year to year based
primarily upon management and restoration needs. Fire is used to control invasive
species, prevent establishment of woody species in grassland areas, alter the
dominance of certain vegetation types, prepare an area for seeding, or to research
the effects of fire on a myriad of physical and biological characteristics of prairie,
savanna, and forest ecosystems.
We cannot schedule prescribed burns more than a few days in advance because
they depend on weather conditions. Consequently, it is often difficult to find help
beyond our core group of faculty and staff. We rely heavily on a pool of volunteers
who we can contact via email or phone a day or two in advance of a burn. A final
"it's a go" email or phone call is made to volunteers the day of or within a few hours
of the start time for the burn.
More information on prescribed burns is in the following documents. If you are
interested in helping, contact the
CERA Manager. (You will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader
to view PDF files)
"Burn Crew Volunteer Information-2002" (PDF file; 25 KB)
"Burn Training Presentation" (PDF file; 1.4 MB)
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