Free Prescribed Burn Volunteer Corps Training September 20, 2025

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The Newaygo County Environmental Coalition is hosting a free training on Prescribed Burns for habitat restoration that will be held on Saturday, September 20th from 10am until 4pm. The program will be held at the Newaygo United Christian Church, 432 Quarterline St, Newaygo 49337. Lunch, examples of prescribed fire equipment, and a field trip to the nearby Prairie Sanctuary are included. 

Stuart Goldman of the Michigan Nature Association will lead the seminar. 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.”

Fire is becoming more common as a tool for land management. MNA hopes to burn several sections of their prairie preserves this year, and at least one permit has been issued. The Forest Service and DNR regularly burn large areas of the Manistee. In addition to creating favorable conditions for certain plants like Jack Pine, regular prescribed burning reduces the risk of serious forest fires by using the fuel in a controlled way.  

“Newaygo 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.”
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The Newaygo Region is home to a unique variety of plant communities: heritage ecosystems such as oak savannahs and dry sand prairies once formed a patchwork of biodiversity, and are now critically imperiled. These are “fire-dependent ecosystems”, which means, according to the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council, that without the presence of fire they will disappear. 

“We are thrilled to co-host our second Prescribed Burn training,” stated Sally Wagoner, Board Vice 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 required and can be accessed by (scanning the QR code) or by (checking NCEC’s Facebook page under “Events” and clicking on the Ticket link). Registration can also be requested by emailing: [email protected]. More information can be found on our website, www.nc-ec.org, and questions can be directed to NCEC at 231-519-3419. 
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The Newaygo County Environmental Coalition is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization dedicated to supporting the beauty and sustainability of the environment of Newaygo County. 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 [email protected]. 

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