A free training on Prescribed Burns for habitat restoration will be held on Saturday, March 9 from 10am – 3pm. The program will be held at Brooks Township Hall, 490 Quarterline St, Newaygo 49337. Lunch, examples of prescribed fire equipment, and a field trip to local Karner Blue Nature Sanctuary are included. Stuart Goldman of the Michigan Nature Association will lead the program. Stuart is MNA’s Conservation Coordinator for lower Western Michigan, and manages the habitats and volunteers for the MNA’s Karner Blue Nature Sanctuary, Newaygo Prairie Sanctuary, and Brooks Township’s Coolbough Natural Areas in Newaygo County. “This training is for private landowners who need controlled fire for habitats and wildfire prevention, and for native habitat stewards and volunteers,” stated Stuart. “It will cover why controlled burns are needed to improve the health of native ecosystems and their species. We will stress the safety aspects of controlled burns, as well as when and how they should be used.” A second training will be held outdoors in early spring at Big Bluestem Farm, a native plant nursery near Bitely, MI. A controlled burn demonstration is planned for this next phase of training. “The Newaygo Region really needs a team of knowledgeable prescribed burn volunteers,” explained Katie Clark of NCEC. “This will be a great start in helping to inform landowners and community members on the importance of controlled fire on public and private lands, and in creating a volunteer Prescribed Burn Team for our area.” The Newaygo Region is home to native habitats such as oak savannas and the unique dry sand prairies. These are “fire-dependent ecosystems'', which means, according to the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council, that without the presence of fire they can disappear. Some fire-dependent ecosystems need to be burned every few years, while others need a burn only every decade. “We are eager to co-host this important first Prescribed Burn program,” states Sally Wagoner, Chair of the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition. “We invite anyone who has a need for prescribed burns on their property, who would like to volunteer for future controlled fires, or who are just interested in our local native plants and habitats to join us.” Registration is needed and can be accessed by going to NCEC’s Facebook site under “Events''. Registration can also be requested by emailing buzz@nc-ec.org. More information can be found at www.nc-ec.org, and questions can be directed to NCEC at 231-519-3419. The Newaygo County Environmental Coalition is a non-profit, volunteer run organization dedicated to supporting the beauty and sustainability of the Newaygo County Environment. Volunteer opportunities are available surrounding the focus areas of Youth Environmental Allies, 3R-Reduce-Reuse-Recycling, LOBO: Love Our Beautiful Outdoors, and Healthy Habitats. If interested, contact buzz@nc-ec.org.
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