Plantwise, LLC Conducts the Burn at Charles Illsley Park in Oakland Township
Smoking Monday in Oakland Township
Oakland Township has conducted two prescribed burns so far this spring. Residents may have spotted smoke in the area on Monday due to the prairie restoration plan that called for 28-acres to be burned. Seventeen acres were burned in the old agricultural fields in Charles Illsley Park and eleven acres were burned at the Bear Creek Nature Park.
Plantwise, LLC out of Ann Arbor completed the burns. Plantwise has conducted more than 500 burns since 1998 across Michigan. Safety is always a top concern and Oakland Township Parks worked with Plantwise to develop a burn plan, which took into consideration weather conditions, necessary equipment, and smoke management.
First Stage of the Prairie Restoration Plan of the Oakland Township Parks
Prairie Restoration
The prairie restoration plan is to restore the natural habitat. It will offer residents an experience of the area’s natural heritage. Burning the fields makes it easier to control non-native plants by reducing their vigor. Removing the non-native plants, which have dominated the fields since farming ending, with prescribed burning is a cost effective way to accomplish these goals. Trees and shrubs will also be removed.
It was a smoky burn because of the green plants springing up. The light breeze and sunny conditions controlled the smoke rise and it did not create a problem for local car traffic or residents. The wet lowlands from recent rains did not completely burn. However, most of the area burned according to plan.
Charles Illsley Park Prescribed Spring Burn
A Hundred Acres in Three Years
The restoration of the prairies includes restoring the oak barrens. Oak barrens form when widely spaced oak trees allow for the understory of prairie and woodland plants to grow. Open areas were once dominated by species such as the Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem and various wildflowers. The restoration will bring back this landscape, which covered the township when it was first settled.
It’s a three-year project to restore nearly 100 acres. The seeding of the iconic prairie species will begin this fall. “We’d love to have people be involved in this prairie restoration (removing shrubs and trees, collecting seed, learning about prairies),” said Ben VanderWeide, Natural Areas Stewardship Manager for Oakland Township Parks and Recreation.
Controlled Spring Burn at Bear Creek Nature Park in Oakland Township
To Get Involved
Contact Ben VanderWeide
bvanderweide@oaklandtownship.org
248-651-7810
Photos Provided by Oakland Township Parks
About Michael Dwyer