Controlled burn on the Tall Grass Prairie~~

[Charmin]

The Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy. They use prescribed burns to mimic the seasonal fires that shaped the Tall Grass Prairie for thousands of years. Then the bison graze on the new grasses that grow after a fire.
Here's more reading about this: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oklahoma/features/art23525.html
My husband is a ranch hand on the preserve and a part of his job is to help with the prescribed burns. They do burns every season and today started their Summer burns. The trucks they use are military 5 tons equipped with huge water tanks (1800 gallons on his truck), and nozzles that are mounted on the grille guard of the truck that can be adjusted to spray in any direction with a switch that is inside the cab. This enables them to be self-sufficient. There are three Military trucks that the preserve uses.
To light the controlled burns, two guys on four-wheelers(atv's) use drip torches filled with diesel. Its quit awe-inspiring to see the huge clouds of smoke! Here's some pictures from today and we hope you enjoy!!
sandcreek

 

[Tnmountains]

Thats neat. Controlled burns are the best thing for our land. We often burn off mtns to clear the underbrush.The trick here is to have a hot fast moving fire that does not destroy old growth. The fire slows down and you run the risk burning your old trees and they will grow hollow after that.
The ancients knew to use fires and burned everything to increase growth,ferterlize and create new growth edges for wildlife.
Beautiful awsome pictures.
regards,
TnMountains

 

[stoney56]

Yes, the controlled burns are great for getting out old dead growth and keep areas from becoming a tender box. Those trucks remind me of one they had in Shidler that we not so fondly called the "Yellow Submarine" due to the time they assisted on a grass fire in eastern Kay Co. and got stuck. It was on the verge of being submerged. LOL Had to nozzle the water well away from the truck to lighten it and keep the mud from being worse.

 

[Charmin]

Thats neat. Controlled burns are the best thing for our land. We often burn off mtns to clear the underbrush.The trick here is to have a hot fast moving fire that does not destroy old growth. The fire slows down and you run the risk burning your old trees and they will grow hollow after that.
The ancients knew to use fires and burned everything to increase growth,ferterlize and create new growth edges for wildlife.
Beautiful awsome pictures.
regards,
TnMountains

The ancients also knew the buffalo would come to "burns" for the new tender shoots of grass. That's why they would do their own patch burns to lure them in to their hunting grounds.
We have learned so much by working for the Nature Conservancy, TnMountains. But we aren't "bunny huggers" --we just are good stewards of the land. And its been really fun to watch the bison herd grow and see other prairie wildlife make a comeback with the way the Preserve has managed the land.
Thanks so much for your kind words and my daughter is glad you enjoy her pics.!!
kind regards~~sandcreek

 

[Charmin]

Yes, the controlled burns are great for getting out old dead growth and keep areas from becoming a tender box. Those trucks remind me of one they had in Shidler that we not so fondly called the "Yellow Submarine" due to the time they assisted on a grass fire in eastern Kay Co. and got stuck. It was on the verge of being submerged. LOL Had to nozzle the water well away from the truck to lighten it and keep the mud from being worse.

I bet my husband knows the guy that owns that "yellow submarine", Stoney, since he goes over and helps put out fires around Shidler when they call. He has been stuck a time or two and had to do the same thing of draining the tanks to get out. But they also have some huge "jerk ropes" to pull one another out. He's even broke a few of those ropes when he leaves at a high rate of speed and hits the end of that rope trying to jerk another truck out . Its always a big competition to see who's gonna get to yank the other one out of the mud hole! Must be a "guy" thing !
kind regards~~sandcreek

 

[naturegirl]

The TGP is coolest thing around. It has been so exciting to watch the herd grow. It is a very special place, and until you drive up there, it's hard to appreciate. If you are the least bit interested in seeing how a prairie looks naturally, please, PLEASE visit it. My husband works for an oil company that has leases there. he is up there every day, and I love hearing the stories he comes home with. When the new fire trucks arrived he came home grinning, describing them to me. And the jerk rope must be a guy thing, because he carries one now too, and loves when he gets to use it. For years the Conservancy wanted the land, but the oilmen, and ranchers didn't want to let it go. Nor the Osage who own the mineral rights. An agreement was finally worked out, and some buffalo were released. Now when you drive up there, the bison can be seen everywhere. I love it. I really enjoy Sandcreek's daughter's pictures, she does an excellent job. It's wonderful her parents are making sure she has an appreciation for what's going on up there. Most of us are proud of it around here, in case you couldn't tell, and it really is a national treasure. To know we almost lost the bison, and then see them up there, is a very moving thing. When they are doing the controlled burns up there, you can see it for miles around, and you know what's going on, a very good stewardship of the land, and a cooperative effort from all parties involved. A good American thing.

ng, off my soapbox now

 

[Charmin]

naturegirl--You and I think so much alike and I can't thank you enough for the kind words about my daughters pictures! She is thrilled when someone posts nice comments and it is very encouraging for her. She has been selling some of her photos and dvd's that she makes up at my sisters antiques/collectibles shop in Pawhuska which helps her buy more supplies and accessories for her camera. But I think she loves to post pictures on here more than anything .
kind regards~~sandcreek

 

[rginn]

They messed up when they decided burning was bad. A hundred and fifty years ago there weren't near that many eastern red cedars in Oklahoma, and now they've taken over in a lot of places. I think there were less ticks, too. I think it's good they can bring burning back without burning anyone's house down.

 

[stoney56]

They messed up when they decided burning was bad. A hundred and fifty years ago there weren't near that many eastern red cedars in Oklahoma, and now they've taken over in a lot of places. I think there were less ticks, too. I think it's good they can bring burning back without burning anyone's house down.

Exactly, some plants actually need fire in order to break out of their hard seed casings and grow as well as adding ash to the soil. In a way too, fire is Mother Nature's lawn mower.

 

[Charmin]

They messed up when they decided burning was bad. A hundred and fifty years ago there weren't near that many eastern red cedars in Oklahoma, and now they've taken over in a lot of places. I think there were less ticks, too. I think it's good they can bring burning back without burning anyone's house down.

[/quote]The red cedars are a pestilence! The Nature Conservancy has another preserve out in western Oklahoma and that is one of the things they are fighting to get rid of. We have a lot of Sericea Lespedeza that our preserve has been fighting for the last 20 years. Its almost as bad, if not worse than the red cedars. The seeds from it can lay dormant for years and then just start growing. It chokes out the native grasses like the Big Bluestem. The Corps of Engineers brought the Sericea in from Thailand(I think) and planted it in places along roads where there was erosion. But then it started to take over and now its very hard to get rid of.
Thanks for the comments, RGINN!!
kind regards~~sandcreek