El Dorado Springs, Mo. – Prescribed burns are an effective way to improve wildlife habitat or livestock forage in grasslands and savannas. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will offer a free prescribed burn online course followed by a demonstration burn from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area near El Dorado Springs. 

When properly applied, prescribed burning can be a valuable tool for managing native plant diversity and controlling undesirable vegetation.  This workshop will provide basic information about how to plan and execute a prescribed burn for grassland, savanna, and woodland management. Upon registration, participants will be given a link to the online portion of the prescribed burn course.  The online course is a mandatory prerequisite and can be completed in approximately 2 to 4 hours.  Participants are asked to bring their certificate of completion to the demonstration burn.

At the field day, a demonstration burn will be conducted on a tract of Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie. Participants will need to dress accordingly with leather boots, leather gloves, cotton pants, cotton long sleeve shirt, and safety glasses.  Instructors will teach about burn equipment, burn line installation, safe weather parameters, ignition operations, and other techniques to safely conduct a prescribed burn.

This workshop is for participants ages 18 and older. COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed. Registration is required and each participant must register. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4qq. For more information, directions, or for help registering, call MDC’s Clinton Office at 660-885-6981.