Oooh, That Burns!
On November 28th, several PCA volunteers and seven members of the Platteville Fire Department handled a controlled burn in the Keystone area of the trail. These prepared sections are located between the bridges that are east of the gazebo (behind Goodwill and Walmart). It took over two hours and went well.
Fire is one of nature’s greatest tools, and it benefits the management of our prairies, woodlands, and wetlands. We tend to suppress fires, which gives weeds and non-native plants the ability to take over an area. However, prescribed burns control and clear invasive plants while maintaining the health of native plants.
A burn also helps restore nutrients and improves plant growth. We will wait a year until burning the smaller, leftover sections. Until then, please enjoy seeing the usually hidden ant hills throughout the burn area, and how life shows up in the spring.
