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Pierceton firefighters
conduct
controlled burn to
rejuvenate prairie grass at College’s Koinonia
Fire can be an ally to preservation of the
environment. On April 6, the Pierceton Fire Department conducted a
prairie burn at Koinonia Environmental and Retreat Center, owned and
operated by Manchester College.
“Prairies need to be burned periodically to
maintain and rejuvenate the prairie vegetation and community,” said
Rainn MacPhail, director of the nature center south of Pierceton.
“Without burning, a prairie will eventually
become a woodland. So, we burn to help the native wildflowers and
grasses grow and prevent the growth of trees and non-native or invasive
species, such as wild rose.” Burning also returns nutrients back to the
soil, noted MacPhail, who teaches field biology and historical biology
at MC.
Frogs, insects and other wildlife in the
grass during the burning scurry underground or away from the flames, she
said. The Koinonia burn was controlled and slow, and into the wind,
providing more avenues of escape, especially for small mammals. “We
chose early April for the burning precisely because it would have the
least impact on the wildlife in the area,” MacPhail said. “Soon the
wildlife will be enjoying the flush, new growth of the prairie grasses
to feed themselves and their young.”
To see the prairie before, during and after
the burn, visit the Koinonia website at
http://www.manchester.edu/Academics/Departments/Koinonia and select
“Prairie” from the menu at the top right. Update photos will be added as
the grass grows. Classrooms and groups are invited to Koinonia this
spring, and also to the May 4-5 Indiana Heritage Days, a program
specially designed for fourth-graders. Contact Rainn MacPhail at
260-982-5010 or
rlmacphail@manchester.edu |
