Mazomanie Sand Barrens

Prescribed Burn

Prescribed Burn

A description of the Mazomanie Oak Barrens from the DNR website:

“Situated on a broad and gently undulating sand terrace along the Wisconsin River, Mazomanie Oak Barrens features a significant oak barren remnant containing large scattered black oaks with bur oak, black cherry, and small amounts of white oak. Groves of smaller oaks occur amid sand prairie openings with species such as big and little blue-stem, bronze-headed oval sedge, goat’s-rue, Carolina puccoon, June grass, clammy ground-cherry, rough blazing-star, prairie coreopsis, few-leaved sunflower, and spiderwort. There are patches of oak woodland with white and black oaks and a shrub layer composed of American hazelnut and huckleberry. The barrens supports the state-threatened cream gentian and the rare prairie fame-flower. A wet prairie dominated by prairie cord grass is also present. Mazomanie Oak Barrens is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1991.”

Oak Barrens

Crew Members

We drove past this area Sunday afternoon and noticed a long streak of hazy gray smoke hovering in the air near the Wisconsin River. When we went to explore, we found two members of the crew in charge of doing a prescribed burn. One crew member would shoot a stream of propellent into the scrub and flames would quickly erupt. Shortly after, the second crew member would come and put the fire out. Very controlled, very effective.

About Bo Mackison

I'm a photographer, book-artist, traveler, naturalist, and creator of the Contemplative Creatives Journey, An Online Workshop and Community and Desert Wisdom Cards and Workshops. Though often not well known, I find the desert a welcoming place - a healing space. Its mysteries and gifts transformed me several years ago. Since that first encounter, I return again and again to fill my well in what most people think of as a desolate region. I'd love to share my desert discoveries and wisdom with you. Please subscribe to receive my five part mini email course The Gifts of the Desert. It's my gift to you.

Comments

  1. WOW! What an amazing scene. And the color…
    Just WOW!
    (And – we still need to ‘connect’ and talk about the business part of our photography lives…:-))!!!

  2. WOW! What an amazing scene. And the color…
    Just WOW!
    (And – we still need to ‘connect’ and talk about the business part of our photography lives…:-))!!!

  3. I wonder if I can hire those guys to burn our wildflower meadow. M and I have talked about it but don’t have the nerve to do it.

    That first shot is incredible.

  4. I wonder if I can hire those guys to burn our wildflower meadow. M and I have talked about it but don’t have the nerve to do it.

    That first shot is incredible.

  5. Anna Surface says

    We’ve been to controlled burns and find it amazing how the crew works the burns and how fast a field will burn. I really like the top photo showing the intense heat of the flames going up.

  6. Anna Surface says

    We’ve been to controlled burns and find it amazing how the crew works the burns and how fast a field will burn. I really like the top photo showing the intense heat of the flames going up.

  7. Interesting. I have wondered what prescribed burning might be like in other states. Must be nice to be able to get around on ATV’s!

  8. Interesting. I have wondered what prescribed burning might be like in other states. Must be nice to be able to get around on ATV’s!

  9. Very intriguing photo.

  10. Very intriguing photo.

  11. Haha, I’m just glad you didn’t go any closer than that – controlled or not. Fascinating photos, though.

  12. Haha, I’m just glad you didn’t go any closer than that – controlled or not. Fascinating photos, though.

  13. love this…today, there is a ban on all burning in west Michgan due to the very dry conditions.

    You?

  14. love this…today, there is a ban on all burning in west Michgan due to the very dry conditions.

    You?

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