On a recent weekday, short but mighty flames began consuming an expanse of tallgrass in Nachusa Grasslands, their advance marked with crackles and pops.
Satisfied with the blaze, a group of eight conservation workers split in two, walking the perimeter of a 124-acre square expanse of land. They used liquid fuel, drop by drop, to create a ring of fire and rubber tools to put out unruly sparks.
Everything was under control.
The neon orange fire charred most of what it encountered: native plants such as Canada wild rye, big bluestem and Indiangrass; and invasive species like bush honeysuckle and bush clover. It barely grazed a handful of scattered oaks and a willow grove at the center of the open meadow, all leafless but tall, alive and full of water — immune to the fire.
The post Chicago Tribune – Setting prairies ablaze in springtime is key to restoring damaged ecosystems, conservationists say appeared first on Openlands.
Satisfied with the blaze, a group of eight conservation workers split in two, walking the perimeter of a 124-acre square expanse of land. They used liquid fuel, drop by drop, to create a ring of fire and rubber tools to put out unruly sparks.
Everything was under control.
The neon orange fire charred most of what it encountered: native plants such as Canada wild rye, big bluestem and Indiangrass; and invasive species like bush honeysuckle and bush clover. It barely grazed a handful of scattered oaks and a willow grove at the center of the open meadow, all leafless but tall, alive and full of water — immune to the fire.
The post Chicago Tribune – Setting prairies ablaze in springtime is key to restoring damaged ecosystems, conservationists say appeared first on Openlands.