MDC and Nature Conservancy offering a Prescribed Burn Demonstration Field Day Sept. 23 near El Dorado Springs

El Dorado Springs, Mo. – Prescribed burns are an efficient and cost-effective way tool for managing vegetation, whether for wildlife habitat or in forage pastures with native warm season grasses. The Missouri Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy are hosting a Prescribed Burn Demonstration Field Day from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area north of El Dorado Springs.

Prescribed burning can be a valuable tool for managing native plant diversity and controlling undesirable vegetation when it is properly applied. To learn how, participants will need to register for the field day. Upon registration, they will be given a link to a virtual/online portion of the prescribed burn course. The online course is a mandatory prerequisite and there is a $25 charge to a third-party host (not MDC). The online course can be completed in approximately 2 to 4 hours.  Please bring your certificate of completion and mileage sheet to the field day.  

This workshop will provide basic information about how to plan and execute a prescribed burn for grassland management.  Participants will learn about burn equipment, burn line installation, safe weather parameters, ignition operations, and other techniques to safely conduct a prescribed burn.  A demonstration burn will be conducted if weather allows, so please dress accordingly with safety glasses, leather boots, leather gloves, and a long sleeve shirt and pants made of natural fibers such as cotton or wool, or ideally, flame-resistant Nomex material.  Water and snacks will be provided.

This field day is open to all ages. The address for the site at Wah’Kon-Tah is 3860 East 02 Road. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4sp. For more information, call MDC’s Clinton Office at 660-885-6981.