Join Wild Ones Lake-to-Prairie Chapter and Land Management Ecologist Leslie Berns to learn about how you can effectively, safely and legally conduct a controlled burn in your very own yard.
Speaker: Leslie Berns, Land Management Ecologist, Lake County Forest Preserve, lberns@LCFPD.org, 847-968-3293
Agenda
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- Why we should burn native landscapes
- When is the best time to burn
- What permits and permissions are needed to legally conduct a burn
- Who should be involved and/or notified when conducting a burn
- How to conduct the burn
- What you should expect to see and when
During the presentation, Berns will also share related stories about her work with Controlled Burns for the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
Every spring and fall, hundreds of acres throughout Lake County are safely burned. Why? Because fire is one of the things these areas need to regain a healthy diversity of species.
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Before this land was settled, wildfires set by lightning and Native Americans were frequent and unchecked. These fires actually shaped local habitats. Today, of course, wildfires are put out. But in forest preserves, under safe and controlled conditions, fire helps preserve Lake County's rich natural legacy for future generations.
Fire is the most efficient and economical tool available for managing natural communities. It controls invasive shrubs and trees. Without fire, buckthorn, honeysuckle and other weedy species would muscle their way into local habitats and shade out native plants.
Lake County's landscape dramatically shows how fire suppresses trees and shrubs. For centuries, fires swept from west to east across the county, only to be stopped by the Des Plaines River. That's why tree-sparse prairie and savanna dominate west of the river and large woodlands are restricted to the east side of the river.
After a burn, many native plants are more robust and produce more seeds. Fire lengthens their growing season, recycles nutrients and, for a few species, is critical for their seeds to sprout.
Oaks, hickories and a few other trees grow a thick bark that protects them from fire. Big bluestem and many other plants of the prairie and savanna keep their buds safe just beneath the soil's surface. Non-native weeds aren't so well-adapted and so burning keeps them in check.
Animals, too, are adapted to fire, with many simply leaving the area during a burn.
NOTE: If you are not experienced in conducting burns, you will want to hire a qualified company to assist you with your burn.
Before starting a controlled burn, obtain all needed permits, contact local fire departments, and notify neighbors who are adjacent to your property. Also, take into account the wind speed, wind direction and humidity when deciding which site to burn each day. A key goal is to keep smoke from blowing toward homes or highways.
Lake-to-Prairie Wild Ones is a chapter of Wild Ones, a national not-for-profit organization that promotes the use of native plants in landscapes.
For more information about Wild Ones or to join, contact Rick Sanders at 847-940-9482. For directions please phone 847-438-4743.
See our web site for more information about upcoming events, past activities, and chapter contacts. http://www.wildones.org/chapters/lake2prairie/.
