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Prescribed Fires for the Spring 2009 season.
Update - Monday, May 18
The prescribed burn scheduled for Tuesday, May 19 is a go. The wind is predicted to be perfect for the Haeg's land neighboring Saint John's. Please fill out the volunteer form if you are planning to attend. Shifts are outlined in the volunteer form. You must stay for your entire shift. The burn scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 has been CANCELLED. MEET AT SAINT JOHN’S FIRE HALL NO LATER THAN 1 PM for the first shift.
Meet at the fire hall at the beginning of each shift. PLEASE REVIEW THE CLOTHING AND SAFETY INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
About
Prescribed fires at Saint John's Arboretum are an important land management activity. Cost is free and the burn is open to CSB/SJU students, staff, Arboretum members and non-members. Check out some of the pictures from past burns.The ABCs of a Controlled Burn from The Nature Conservancy.
Scheduling
Upcoming burns are tentatively scheduled for May 19-20 and 27-28. We will need 2-3 of these days to complete our work. Please review the volunteer information below and fill out a volunteer form if you are interested in helping out.
Current Burn Plans
2009 Spring Joyce Burn Plan (Map)
2009 Spring Saupe Burn Plan
2009 Spring Unit 643 Burn Plan (Map)
Volunteer Information
The work is physical and involves using a shovel or a backpack water tank or a torch. We can also use volunteers for jobs like photography and check-in. No matter what you do, you and your clothes will get smoky and dirty!
You must stay for your entire shift and may not come late or leave early. It is too hard to safely keep track of people coming and going. We have shirts, helmets, and gloves for twenty volunteers. Fill out a volunteer form if you are interested in helping out. If you are not yet on our volunteer list, send an e-mail to arboretum@csbsju.edu. Contact us early to ensure your participation! Meet at the Saint John's Fire Hall (see campus map) to sign in and receive safety gear.
Clothing
On the day of the burn, you will need cotton jeans, and a cotton shirt or sweatshirt for your outer layer; it gets cold in the evening. Wear leather boots or the heaviest shoes you have. Bring some kind of water bottle for yourself. Dress for the weather and bring extra layers to keep warm. Wool is also very good as it is warm and non-flammable. We will furnish a fire shirt, hard hat, and cotton gloves. If you have leather work gloves, feel free to bring them. Do not bring anything made of fleece or polyester as it burns too easily.
Safety
We will give you a safety briefing, teach you to use the hand tools and assign you to a leader. Please review the short PowerPoint on fire line safety.