Tall bluestem grass sways gently in the breeze against a brilliantly blue sky as I watch local Kansas ranchers gather to plan the day’s controlled burn. Not a cloud is in sight as pickups and all-terrain vehicles loaded with water-filled spray tanks rumble down a dusty gravel road.
I overhear laughter and mild conversation as these graziers embrace the camaraderie and teamwork awaiting them over the next few hours, but their discussion quickly turns serious as the schedule is laid out. If everything goes according to plan, the ranchers will work together with another nearby crew to burn a large acreage of grassland in a single day.
Lighting a tallgrass prairie on fire might seem contrary to common sense, because it’s almost like starting a wildfire. But if carefully planned, controlled fires are quite beneficial.
While there’s always an
