Native Grassland Management Training

MPF is offering a free training opportunity to the general public, specifically aimed at young people entering the field of natural resource management, to gain hands-on experience managing native grasslands (prairies, glades, open woodlands, and fens), with the goal to increase the pool of future professionals (and/or prairie and woodland landowners) who can manage and therefore improve Missouri’s woodland and native grassland habitats.

Training will include:
• Two days of mechanical thinning of undesirable woody growth. Training will include woody plant identification, proper use of chainsaws and loppers, importance and proper use of personal protective equipment (for those using chain saws), and information on the historical vegetation of the Ozarks—a matrix of prairie, open woodland/savanna, and forest.
• One-half day of a prescribed prairie/woodland burn. Training will include importance of fire line establishment, fire behavior, proper use of tools like flappers, rakes, backpack blowers (for fire lines) and backpack water pumps, and proper use of personal protective equipment (for those on burn front lines).

This training is made possible thanks to a grant to MPF from the L-A-D Foundation. All are welcome to attend. Students from Missouri colleges and residents/students in/from L-A-D’s Pioneer Forest area (Carter, Dent, Madison, Maries, Monroe, Oregon, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, Ste. Genevieve, and Texas Counties) will be given first priority for this training.

Date: January 11-13, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: MPF’s Schuette Prairie in Polk County, direction information on our website: https://moprairie.org/project/schuette-prairie/
Details:
– Maximum of 15 trainees
– Lunch is provided on all days. Please bring a water bottle; we will have extra water on site.
– All tools will be provided, please bring work gloves, sturdy closed-toe shoes, and dress for the weather and protection from the elements

About the location: Schuette Prairie is a 40-acre original, unplowed prairie purchased by MPF in 2020. It is a limestone/dolomite prairie—a rare natural community—with a prairie swale along the northern edge and many mima mounds. Learn more here: https://moprairie.org/project/schuette-prairie/

To register for this training, or if you have any questions, reach us at info@moprairie.org. Please indicate if you are a student, and if so where, and/or if you reside in the Pioneer Forest area detailed above.

Photo above of MPF’s 2021 Prairie & Woodland Management Training by Brooke Widmar