Last Friday morning dawned with low humidity and a gentle breeze which, according to Bill Reininger, Park Operations Manager of Forest Park Forever, meant weather conditions were perfect for a controlled burn scheduled that day in Forest Park.
At the suggestion of CWEnder Tracy Boaz, Community Planner at the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) I headed over to the Park to watch and take photos. Tracy explained that this is the 2nd year of a 3-year grant from the Department of Conservation to Forest Park Forever to pay for the burns. FPF's President and Executive Director Leslie Hoffarth added that the Department has been extremely helpful with technical and financial assistance to implement Forest Park's Master Plan. The Conservation Department has maintained a St. Louis office inside the Visitors Center in the Park.
Two areas underwent a late-winter burn on Friday, a narrow three-acre section across the road and east of the upper Muny parking lot, above, and a nine-acre parcel north of Steinberg Rink, below.
Before we headed over to the Steinberg area, Bill Reininger explained that burning is a more ecologically sound way to clear areas of invasive species such as honeysuckle, and is not as dangerous for the environment as using gasoline-powered mowers over the course of the growing season, or spraying chemicals. "Remember," Bill said," when residents of south St. Louis would burn their Zoysia grass? Burning is nature's way of putting nutrients back into the soil." When I asked Tracy and Bill what happens to wildlife in the area during a burn, they said that they purposely leave a section nearby untouched so the wildlife can escape into the tall grasses.
Later on, when we had moved over to the Steinberg Rink area, Leslie Hoffarth added to the discussion about wildlife, saying that, over the course of a few days before the burn, Forest Park Forever employees made as much noise as they could cutting down dead limbs, walking through the area, etc., to encourage wildlife to move away on its own.
Waiting for the area to be cleared of runners and bikers so the burn could start near Steinberg Rink were MDC's Tracy Boaz (in tan shirt), her husband Fred Ricks (in blue shirt), and others from both organizations.
Forest Park Forever notified the Fire Department, BJC, and neighbors who border the park that the burn was taking place on Friday, and employees stood watch on nearby trails to detour people in the park on that beautiful day.
Heather Nararro, Director of the Coalition for the Environment, above, happened to show up and wound up speaking with a KTRS reporter, right. Mark Glenshaw, the Owlman of Forest Park, was also in the area taking pictures. The burn area was nowhere near the territory of the Great Horned Owls (Sarah, Charles and current offspring), or he would not have been so relaxed.
Forest Park Forever hired Jon Wingo of DJM Ecological Services to implement the burn. His employees set the fires and operated a tractor with a water hose to keep the fire contained.
A few DJM employees carried water packs with sprays to protect trees as fire came near.
Though signs alerted the public of the controlled burn and advised not to call 911, a representative of the fire department was there nevertheless.
It will be interesting for those who frequent the park to watch the burned areas rejuvenate in the coming season. As I conclude this post up I am reminded of how much I take Forest Park for granted. How fortunate we are to have this treasure in our front yard.
Thank you so much Tracy for suggesting I might like to share the burn event with readers of this blog. I learned so much while I was there and hope that I've been able to successfully pass some of that knowledge along.