The burn even had academic benefits, with the Environmental Studies and Biology Departments planning projects involving soils and invasive plant management, and more.
“Fire is a valuable management tool for maintaining landscapes and ecosystems, and the opportunity for students to see firsthand how fire is used for this purpose will be a valuable addition to the environmental studies curriculum,” said Irene Rossell, professor and chair of environmental studies.
Invasive plants and poison ivy in the big meadow have hindered the Environmental Studies Department’s use of the area as an outdoor classroom for courses like Field Biology, Plant-Animal Interactions, Herbaceous Plants of Winter and Spring, and Wildcrafting. “A controlled burn will help reduce the invasives and allow us to continue bringing students to this slope to learn about ecological succession.”
“Members of the Biology Department are very excited about the opportunity to design research and classroom activities around this burn,” said Jonathon Horton, professor of biology.
Along with Professors of Biology Jen Rhode Ward and David Clarke, Horton had research students collect pre-burn data on the vegetative cover in the big meadow. Students in Principles of Botany will monitor changes in the vegetative cover after the burn, and students in Horton’s Forest Ecology course will be able to use the burned area of the meadow as a demonstration lab when studying fire as a disturbance and a management tool.
“We are excited to participate in the prescribed burn and the scientific and educational opportunities that it affords,” Horton said.
See WLOS News 13's coverage.
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