St. Joseph, Mo. – Prescribed burns are an efficient and cost-effective tool for managing vegetation, whether for wildlife habitat or in forage pastures with native warm season grasses. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is hosting a Prescribed Burn Workshop from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, at MDC’s Northwest Regional Office in St. Joseph.

Prescribed burning can be a valuable tool for managing native plant diversity and controlling undesirable vegetation when it is properly applied. But burns can also be dangerous if not done properly. This workshop will provide information about how to plan and execute a prescribed burn. The class will be indoors and include equipment demonstrations, videos, and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and discuss prescribed burning with MDC staff. Participants will learn about burn equipment, burn line installation, safe weather parameters, ignition operations, and other techniques to safely conduct a prescribed burn.

Registration is required. Upon registration, participants will be given a link to a virtual/online portion of the prescribed burn course. The online course is a mandatory prerequisite and there is a $25 charge to a third-party host (not MDC). The online course can be completed in approximately 2 to 4 hours.  Please bring your certificate of completion to the workshop.  

This workshop is open to all ages. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z7T. For more information, contact Andi Rittel, MDC private land conservationist, at 660-446-3371, or Andi.Rittel@mdc.mo.gov.