2015 Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Regional Fire Conference
Keeping Fire Working for the Land - February 17-19, 2015, Grand River Center, Dubuque Iowa
James Phillips leading a great pre-conference workshop on native oaks but really much much more. We highly recommend his book, The Bur Oak Manifesto at Prairie Fire.
We got a brief introduction to the rhizosphere and the nested feedback loops of organisms.
The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms (wiki) .
We got a brief introduction to the rhizosphere and the nested feedback loops of organisms.
The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms (wiki) .
K. Lair
Abstract - Paper Presentation
This paper presentation, Case Study on Building a Resilient, Community-Based Prescribed Burn Initiative, examines a newly created landowner led burn program in south central Iowa. The case study focuses on the efforts to build social, professional, and grassroots working groups to develop a thriving community-based burn program for prairie and oak savanna rehabilitation.. A field day with demonstration burn is scheduled to be held during a regional event on October 11th 2014. The site of the demonstration burn is roughly eleven acres of land which is at the end of a 15 year Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and part of roughly 450 acres. This site has not previously been part of a burn program and is composed of land that in pre-settlement times was mostly oak savanna and woodland with a considerable portion uncultivated. This is the first in a multi-phase effort to build local understanding and capacity for executing burns on private land utilizing volunteer support. The paper will also discuss the value of building social networks (and media), environmental histories and the use of creative methods to promote activism around ethical stewardship of the land. The case study is being developed through pragmatic, action-based research and creative inquiry. This is an interdisciplinary approach designed to impact different kinds of stakeholders and foster new audiences and interest in burn programs and rural ecology.
Abstract - Paper Presentation
This paper presentation, Case Study on Building a Resilient, Community-Based Prescribed Burn Initiative, examines a newly created landowner led burn program in south central Iowa. The case study focuses on the efforts to build social, professional, and grassroots working groups to develop a thriving community-based burn program for prairie and oak savanna rehabilitation.. A field day with demonstration burn is scheduled to be held during a regional event on October 11th 2014. The site of the demonstration burn is roughly eleven acres of land which is at the end of a 15 year Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and part of roughly 450 acres. This site has not previously been part of a burn program and is composed of land that in pre-settlement times was mostly oak savanna and woodland with a considerable portion uncultivated. This is the first in a multi-phase effort to build local understanding and capacity for executing burns on private land utilizing volunteer support. The paper will also discuss the value of building social networks (and media), environmental histories and the use of creative methods to promote activism around ethical stewardship of the land. The case study is being developed through pragmatic, action-based research and creative inquiry. This is an interdisciplinary approach designed to impact different kinds of stakeholders and foster new audiences and interest in burn programs and rural ecology.
Abstract - Poster
This poster submission, Field Day – Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS), is based on a new collaborative initiative using prescribed burns as part of a creative endeavor supporting community vibrancy and diversity at the Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS), a legacy farm outside Winterset, IA. WAS promotes “ecological understanding” as being “together-as-one” with both the land and within the community. We seek to “build unexpected bridges” among disciplines and social networks for environmental activism. Through collaborative partnerships with Farm Bureau and the Southern Iowa Oak Alliance, we have created a community-based program of ecology-driven prescribed burns in order to foster our common interest in a sustainable rural culture and enhance appreciation for agriculture. This program will advance the adoption of burns, which are a recognized conservation practice that creates conditions that are essential for a resilient ecology. While the benefits of burns for plant and animal life are clear, we also see great opportunities for the people of farming communities. There is a unique opportunity to support community engagement in common concerns about the agricultural system. Sustainability and ecological concerns appeal to a broad demographic including academics, innovators, and designers. Interest in wildlife habitat, tall grass prairies, native species and other aspects related to the burn is high among hunters, historians, artists, writers, and academics. We will present our process of using creative inquiry and community conversation (narrative inquiry) to build our networks and engage the public. From this beginning we hope to set the scene for the potentially broader applications.
This poster submission, Field Day – Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS), is based on a new collaborative initiative using prescribed burns as part of a creative endeavor supporting community vibrancy and diversity at the Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS), a legacy farm outside Winterset, IA. WAS promotes “ecological understanding” as being “together-as-one” with both the land and within the community. We seek to “build unexpected bridges” among disciplines and social networks for environmental activism. Through collaborative partnerships with Farm Bureau and the Southern Iowa Oak Alliance, we have created a community-based program of ecology-driven prescribed burns in order to foster our common interest in a sustainable rural culture and enhance appreciation for agriculture. This program will advance the adoption of burns, which are a recognized conservation practice that creates conditions that are essential for a resilient ecology. While the benefits of burns for plant and animal life are clear, we also see great opportunities for the people of farming communities. There is a unique opportunity to support community engagement in common concerns about the agricultural system. Sustainability and ecological concerns appeal to a broad demographic including academics, innovators, and designers. Interest in wildlife habitat, tall grass prairies, native species and other aspects related to the burn is high among hunters, historians, artists, writers, and academics. We will present our process of using creative inquiry and community conversation (narrative inquiry) to build our networks and engage the public. From this beginning we hope to set the scene for the potentially broader applications.
