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Prescribed Burns
About
Flames spread across the grasslands, leaving its charred remains. Firefighters equipped with full gear stand by, monitoring the blaze to keep it under control. Fire, referred to as the “Red Buffalo” by Native Americans, adds a critical component to a prairie’s ecosystem. Once started by either lightning or Indigenous People and now by skilled technicians, fire benefits the land by removing invasive plants, enhancing seed germination and growth of native plants.
The smell of prairie smoke — carrying wildflower spice and something like burnt popcorn – embodies spring for me. Spring renews, resets plant clocks to zero. But spring fire renews in a larger sense: restarting prairie development after several years of lying dormant.
Conor Gearin, “Prairie Smoke”, New Nature.
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