Today was THE day. My first capstone project! Charlotte, Matt, and I carpooled to Rosebud, Missouri to spend the day at Jody and Bill Miles' Earth's Classroom. We promptly met at 8:00 a.m.(Judy and Denise were already there). Bill sat us down at a picnic table, and using a dry-erase board and a printout of the land, described things associated with a burn.
Things like how a fire burns, the various components that one considers when coming up with a burn plan, the factors that effect a burn, and many many explanations regarding: the types of fuel used to start a fire (usually diesel with a little gasoline thrown in), how the lines where the fire is will burn (back, lateral, front), fire breaks, wind speeds, temperature, the burn zone, how to fight fire with fire, fires burn faster uphill than down, fire is attracted to itself and two sides will come together to meet (think of a campfire-the flame is higher in the center than the sides), humidity, radiant heat, tools, why when brush hogging an area, you don't put the grass clippings in the burn zone, but on the opposite side-this is because it will create a pile of debris that will burn slower and could create airborn embers, seasons (spring burns create grassy falls-fall burns create many wildflowers in the spring), purposes, laws, the effects of fire (predators move in quickly because there is no where for their prey to hide), and of course the fuel supplied by the land itself. Jody said that they liked to burn at night-how beautiful that must be!
After learning the lay of the land and the history of the use of fire at Earth's Classroom, we were introduced to some of the tools used in fires. A leaf blower can create very good fire breaks, the rakes are all metal and have heavy tines, water pumps,a drip torch, and four wheelers. Bill started a small fire using charred cloth, chert, and a metal striker on the rocks using the diesel/gasoline starter, and we each took turns using the drip torch. It has a loop in it so that fire cannot go back inside the container.
We had an early lunch and headed over to the prairie. We walked along the cut path and Bill pointed out the two sides. The side on the left had been burned in the fall and was lush and filled with many beautiful plants. The side on the right had not been burned and big clumps of dead grass were scattered in the landscape. We saw compass plants and learned that they are related to the cup plant. We saw prairie coneflowers and a plant called rattlesnake master.
After our prairie walk, we went into the woods. We were straightening the fire break on one side. We cleared a path suitable for a four wheeler to go through. We cut down brush and trees and threw them to the sides of the path. We used loppers, hand saws, and hand held pruners. Bill operated the chain saw. We came to a creek and learned that a creek doesn't really make a good fire break because of the debris that collects in them.
We passed the hay field and discovered prairie clover (the purple pom looking things). Bill showed us sensitive briar. It has a prickly stem with a pink flower. The cool thing about this plant is that when the leaves are touched, they contract close to the plant making it "sensitive".
We reentered the woods and cut down some large branches off of the trees near the fire break. Bill once again pointed out the difference in the two sides of the woods. The side on the left had been burned and the undergrowth was thriving and the canopy was more open. The unburned side on the right had a more closed canopy and little undergrowth.
We made lots of little discoveries on our walks. The beautiful, bright orange mushrooms dotting the floor caught our interest. What were they? Jack-0-lanterns which were highly toxic? Chanterelles? Bill and Charlotte checked the gills on the underside for more information-the decision? Not sure.
I caught many tiny American Toads-little black things the size of a fly. I picked wild blackberries and ate them. I pulled the berry from a May Apple and cut in in half with my shears. The inside comes out in one piece, leaving the casing an empty shell. It was a little sweet and totally enjoyable.
The last part of our walk took us up the power line path. This path creates a great fire break. We removed large, dead branches on either side. Bill took down some dead trees along the way. Then...a tree misbehaved right there as we watched. Instead of going where it was supposed to, it went right into the powerlines. A bit startling...I thought the lines would snap, but they didn't. They bowed beneath the pressure of the tree. Bill made quick work of getting the tree off the lines, but before he could, the lines knocked together, creating sparks and a little bit of concern. But before we knew it, the tree was on the ground, and the power lines bounced right back up where they belonged.
An already exciting day with an even more exciting ending.
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