Native area

We were finally able to burn the native area between 4 and 5.  We have been trying to do this for 2 months.  Too wet, too windy, too much work on other parts of the course.  Burning rejuvenates the prairie by removing excess leaf litter and duff allowing more plants to flower, produce seed and grow taller.  It also increases available nutrients through indirect stimulation of microbial activity in the soil and releasing nutrients from the ash.  Burning exposes the darkened soil and allows sunlight to warm the soil quicker and extend the growing season for warm season native plants.  The fire also suppresses many weeds and non native invasive cool season grass. When we burn the native we always back burn.  You want the fire to move against the wind not with the wind.