April 21, 2021

Wordless Wednesday: The Prairie Burned

burned prairie 2
April: prairie following a prescribed burn
[Click on images to enlarge for detail.]

prairie late winter
March: prairie just before snowmelt

prairie
December: prairie before the snow

18 comments:

  1. Prescribed burns and the results are always so fascinating!

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    1. Yes, I agree. It will recover so fast. I'm looking forward to seeing the first shoots of new little growth the next time I visit. :)

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  2. It will be interesting to see the new growth. My parents had a prescribed burn on a prairie not far from them. The wild flowers are amazing last summer.

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    1. Yes, I'm looking forward to it. Prescribed burns are pretty common in the Madison parks, but I don't recall this particular prairie being burned recently. Although this prairie is incredible, I have noticed more native plant diversity in some other local prairies. So maybe the burn will help it flourish even more.

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  3. How long will it take for the prairie to recover following the burn? Will you see wildflowers this summer?

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    1. It will recover within days. The burn happened before the growing season was in full swing. So tiny seedlings will regrow, and new seeds will germinate. The wildflowers will probably be even more diverse and colorful this summer. :)

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  4. The snow will give the prairie a little scrub.

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    1. No accumulating snow here lately, even though folks to the south of us had it. I'm sure the earlier snowfalls helped the soil and insulated the plants/roots. :)

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  5. Nice shots. Is this Curtis Prairie?

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    1. Thanks, Jason. No, this is the big prairie at Lake Kegonsa State Park.

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  6. Great set of shots, Beth. The LBJWC has semi-regular burns, warning the public that, yes, they know what they're doing. :)

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    1. Indeed, they know what they're doing. :) I love that place, and I hope to get back there one of these years. Our time was so limited during the Fling, and exacerbated by the fact that there was a major thunderstorm while we were there. I probably only saw about 5% of the property. What an amazing resource--onsite and online!

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  7. Hi Beth -- neat that you get to experience the dynamic side of nature as well as the beauty :)

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    1. Yes, it is! It's fun to follow the same spot through the seasons.

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  8. Is your area greening up yet? Hope so.

    In any state, snowy, burnt, dormant, the prairie has such a marvelous sense of wide open spaciousness. Happy to be reminded its out there. Too crowded where I am.

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    1. Yes, even at this point it was, but now, at the end of May, we're very, very green. :)

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  9. It will be exciting to see what emerges! In our spring our Fynbos Ramblers will explore Rondebosch Common after their NOT prescribed burn. Bulbs, annuals, orchids ...

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    1. Amazing how plants recover after fire. It will be fun to see this same spot in mid-summer and early fall, too.

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