Prescribed Burn at Group Selection in Berea

(Piled slash ignites and burns hot at the center of the site)

Last week, students from Dave Ellum's Silviculture class joined Forestry Crew students to burn one of two group selections sites in the Berea compartment of The College Forest. Both sites were cut in 2010 by the crew. The goals of the burn included educating forestry students on the procedures and effects of prescribed burning, as well as to encourage the regeneration of white pine.

All students who join the Forestry Crew undergo basic (S130/S190/L180) wildland firefighter training. In addition to taking part in prescribed burns on campus, many also get the opportunity to assist the local US Forest Service wildland firefighting crew in fighting local forest fires. Some Forestry Crew members have taken this opportunity as far as fighting fire on hotshot crews with the Forest Service in Alaska and Idaho.

 (Silviculture student Bo Dossett and crew member Morgan Kaelin tend the fire line)

 

(Crew member Eric Damtoft, outfitted in official USFS gear, watches the blaze)