Mayville Elementary Partners with Community for Controlled Prairie Burn
For a number of years the 4th grade students at MES have been utilizing both the school prairie and Ziegler Park as an outdoor classroom. The school prairie was established in 2015 with the help of Walter and Alice Mirk of The Prairie Enthusiasts. Since then, Mayville School District students have been learning in and about this unique habitat. Once a month, Wildlife Educator Liz Herzmann visits and incorporates outdoor learning into the curriculum. Students have added nesting boxes, bat houses, planted new species, caught and tagged monarchs, identified insects and learned how controlled burns are an important tool in maintaining a prairie.
Prairie or grassland habitats have adapted to fire over the years. The roots of plants typically grow more below the ground than what we see above. This deep root system allows plants to survive drought and also fire. Habitat managers have used prescribed burning specifically in this type of habitat because of the unique adaptations of prairie plants. A carefully planned and executed prescribed burn will help reduce the thatch layer, allow seeds to germinate, put nutrients back into the soil and deter woody vegetation and invasive species. It is a useful tool to refresh a prairie every 3-8 years.
We are thankful to the Mayville Fire Department for helping us execute this management tool and for using our prairie as a training exercise for their staff. With beautiful weather on Sunday, April 14th, the Fire Department was able to conduct the prescribed burn in the afternoon at 1pm, just before conditions changed and a burn ban went into effect later that afternoon. Prescribed burns require a number of specific conditions to safely take place including temperature, wind speed/direction, relative humidity, moisture content and fuels. Living near the Marsh means our area experiences many prescribed burns to encourage healthy growth, and often timing for these burns needs to change depending on local conditions.
This is a special learning experience for our MES students and we appreciate the support and partnership of our local community, Mrs. Herzmann and the Mayville Fire Department.