The land management company Landbridge Ecological carried out a controlled burn of several areas of Columbia Golf Course on Nov. 23 and 24.“We started out with this project last winter by removing invasive species out here like buckthorn and (nonnative) honeysuckle. This summer we’ve been treating these areas and then this fall they were seeded with mix of native grass and plants and flowers native to Minnesota,” said Erin O’Leary, installation services coordinator for the company.
The last area burned was a wooded area near the clubhouse. The trees in the area have evolved to build a thick bark that protects them from excessive heat and fire while the nonnative plants have not. The burn is just one step in preparing the area and soil for the native plants and flowers that will soon fill the area. “We’re doing this burn because they are also supposed to be seeded with a native woodland mix. Because we can’t do any soil preparation with all the trees and the terrain, we’re timing the seeding [for] fall and then we let the freeze/thaw action of winter work the seed into the soil naturally. It mimics the natural process very closely,” explained O’Leary.
More native plants and flowers will provide a great habitat and nectar source for pollinators including the rusty patch bumblebee which is currently on the endangered species list.
O’Leary explained why this kind of work is so beneficial to the environment. “The beauty of this is that all of these areas here that were turf grass will now be native vegetation. There’s about 20 acres we’re converting. That’s 20 less acres that the park has to mow, put fertilizer down and water. Once this is established, these plant root structures that go eight to ten feet into the ground so they’re really good at stabilizing soil and providing habitat and a natural beauty that will bring in more birds.
“There’s a flower component, too. Five different seed mixes, we’re making sure they are the right seeds for the area.”
Below: Smoke filled the sky at Columbia Park on Wednesday, Nov. 24, as Erin O’Leary (bottom left) and Jen Merth (top right) of Landbridge Ecological monitor the flow of the smoke during a controlled burn. “With a test fire, we’re trying to create the conditions we might have but in a controlled manner to stop it right away if it’s not doing what we want it to do. For us, it’s really about what the smoke is doing since we’re so close to Central Avenue,” explained O’Leary. After a test burn confirmed conditions were good, Erin O’Leary and her team from Landbridge Ecological carry out a controlled burn on the last of several areas at Columbia Golf Course. O’Leary uses a drip torch; the contents include a mixture of diesel and gasoline to spread the fire in desired locations. (Photos by Mike Madison)
