Et cetera : NCCC Firing Things Up with The Nature Conservancy

By Harry Parsons

Since 1958, The Nature Conservancy of Minnesota has helped protect 70,000 acres of forest, prairies, rivers, lakes and wetlands. Prescribed burning is one way the Conservancy maintains this land. As fall season hits, a possibility for fall burning could do well for the forests and prairies of Minnesota. So when an AmeriCorps NCCC team of eleven showed up on September 10 to assist, the organization could not have been more thrilled.

Since their arrival, NCCC team, Maple Four has helped The Nature Conservancy set up fire breaks for the fall burn season. The team is trained as Type II Firefighters and has experience with prescribed burning from their first project. Although the weather is always a factor that could prevent or delay burning, both the team and the organization are confident that they will be able to carry out burns over the next several weeks. Other duties the team are performing include invasive species spraying, removal and monitoring.

Maple Four member Gordon Austin says, “It’s exciting to learn so much about conservation from a unique organization like The Nature Conservancy. I know the entire team is looking forward to seeing the difference we can make to the state of Minnesota come project end.”