Crow's Nest: You Know It's Spring When...

...when prescribed fire season begins...

Today the Natural Lands Trust fire management team (that's Stewardship Staff wearing another hat) came together at Crow's Nest to conduct a prescribed burn of three meadows at Crow's Nest.

Managing meadows with fire more closely replicates a natural process and keeps meadows open and encourages warm-season grasses and some wildflowers. So far we have seen milkweed, Indian grass, little bluestem, and other species thrive on occasional burning. Today we burned half of the meadow downhill from the Chief's Grove and parts of the meadow around the parking lot (both of these are plainly visible from Piersol Road). We also burned a small wildflower meadow back in the woods at the northern part of the preserve.

If you come by Crow's Nest over the next few weeks you'll see how quickly these fields green up.