On March 9, 2023, we burned 3 acres in the Bro. Don Geiger Prairie of the Marianist Nature Preserve. Special thanks to Mount Saint John Facilities and Five Rivers MetroParks for their assistance.
MEEC has been using this technique to manage the prairie for more than 30 years. The prescribed burn removes unwanted woody plants and excess thatch, releases nutrients, and boosts plant vigor and seed set. Our burns proceed under a specific range of wind speed, wind direction, humidity and temperature in accordance with the permits we received from the Ohio EPA, Regional Air Pollution Control Agency and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry. The Beavercreek Fire Department was also on site.
Only a portion of the prairie is burned in any given year to ensure adequate refuge for overwintering wildlife.
For an in-depth look at the role of fire as a management tool in Southwest Ohio, check out this new article by our friend Dave Nolin in the Ohio Journal of Science.