The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present three innovative, interactive Peers and Pros 360-Degree Texas Hill Country Prescribed Fire Workshops in May so attendees can learn about prescribed fires and associated best practices for fellow landowners and land managers.
The workshops are free thanks to funding from the Shield-Ayres Foundation and AgriLife Extension. Check-in for each workshop is 8:30 a.m., with the workshop from 9-11 a.m.
The content will be the same for all three workshops, addressing broad concepts related to the benefits of prescribed fire, burn timing, liability concerns, wildlife and livestock management, and how to find resources and cost assistance.
Dates and locations
— May 7, Kerr Wildlife Management Area, 2625 Farm-to-Market Road 1340, Hunt.
— May 13, Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area. In Mason, take Rural Road 386 North 2 miles and turn left onto Old Mason Road, then another 2 miles to the WMA entrance.
— May 20, Sonora Experiment Station. The station is at 395 County Road 760. It is 27 miles south of Sonora off Texas Highway 55.
Space is limited, so attendees must register in advance for their workshop. For more information and to register, contact Teri Gaston at 830-988-6157 or teri.gaston@ag.tamu.edu.
Driving directions will be emailed to participants prior to their workshop.
“The format of the prescribed fire workshop is moderated peer-to-peer learning, so participants will learn from each other about their experiences in the Texas Hill Country,” said Maureen Frank, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Uvalde.
The benefits of prescribed fire
Frank will host the workshops with graduate student Kaitlyn Restivo.
“We have also chosen locations for the workshops in areas where there has been a history of the successful use of prescribed fire,” Frank said.
Prescribed fire is an important tool for land management and can provide many benefits to an area’s flora and fauna, Restivo said.
“Prescribed fire is an effective but underutilized tool for both vegetation control and increasing the quality of wildlife habitat,” she said. “We are hoping these workshops will enhance landowner awareness of the many positive outcomes prescribed fire can provide.”
Frank said the primary goal of the workshops is to educate attendees on the benefits of prescribed burns, provide information on best practices, and help landowners find opportunities to participate in hands-on experiences with prescribed burns.
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