MDC offers January programs to learn about prescribed fire

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - When used in controlled, supervised conditions, fire can be a beneficial land management tool. However, it's important to stress that prescribed fire involves planning and on-site management.

People wanting to learn how to use fire as a land management tool will have chances in January at Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) prescribed fire workshops in Taney and Greene counties. Both workshops have online and hands-on components. The Taney County hands-on demonstration burn will be Jan. 18 and the Greene County demonstration burn will be Jan. 25. However, to take part in either of these field events, workshop participants must first complete the online portion of the classes.

People will get a link to the online portion of the workshop when they register. The online portion will take from 2-4 hours to complete. Upon completing the online portion, participants will receive a certificate which they must bring to whichever demonstration burn (Taney County or Greene County) they registered for. The online course requires a $25 fee which is paid to a third-party host. Here are details about each program:

Taney County: The field portion of this workshop will be Jan. 18 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the MDC Branson Office located at 226 Claremont Drive in Branson. The demonstration burn will be conducted on a nearby property, weather permitting. People will get hands-on experience on how to execute a prescribed burn for grassland management. Topics covered by MDC Private Land Conservationist Brad Graevs will include equipment, burn line installation, safe weather parameters, ignition operations and other aspects needed to conduct a safe and successful prescribed burn. Appropriate dress for the burn will be leather boots, leather gloves, cotton pants, cotton long-sleeve shirt, and safety glasses. People can register for the Taney County workshop at:

https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/205316

To get more information about this event, contact Graevs at [email protected].

Greene County: The field portion of this workshop will be Jan. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in MDC's Bois D'Arc Conservation Area. Participants will gather at the Bois D'Arc Conservation Area workshop. The address is 11049 W. Farm Road 94, Ash Grove. The demonstration burn will be conducted on a nearby property. The burn will be conducted by Graevs. The topics that will be covered and appropriate clothing for this program are the same as listed for the Taney County demonstration burn. People can register for the Greene County program at:

https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/205315

To get more information about this event, contact Graevs at 417-731-3706 or at [email protected]