Hurry Up And Wait… What?
By RJ Ruotolo, Iowa Trails Field Crew Member/ AmeriCorps Member
On the docket during this last week of training for the local Iowa crews was a prescribed burn with Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF). For many of the Iowa Corpsmembers, just coming off of a week of Fire Academy, this was a day to really try out some newly acquired skills. But the weather had something different in mind.
For those in the field of conservation, prescription burns are a facet of land management. Prescribed burns are an effective tool, if used correctly, to curb the spread of nonnative invasive species, control unwelcome woody plants in prairies, manage fuels in an environment to prevent uncontrolled wildfires, and even encourage certain prairie plants that require fire in their life cycle. Fire has evolved with the environment since the beginning of time—it can even be a cultural thing to participate in burns like certain Indigenous tribes that set ceremonial fires on the land.
With the prescribed burn on the agenda, I was really looking forward to suiting up in my Nomex fire uniform for the first time this year, and really dive into a piece of conservation where I have the least experience. The conditions, however, weren’t quite right. It rained almost all day, not really conducive to fire starting. Instead, I settled in for a day inside.
Thankfully, our project hosts with the INHF, Ryan Schmidt and Derek Miner, found a way to pivot. Both were quite savvy with prescribed burns and were happy to share some of their knowledge with us mostly newer firefighters. Part of our firefighter training focused on suppression, so they were ready to close the gap between suppression and prescription. They began the day with introductions and stretches before moving between classroom discussion and hands-on learning, diving deeply into the differences of the two.
After learning a little bit about INHF and their motto of “Protect and restore Iowa’s land, water, and wildlife,” we jumped into some of the tools of the trade. They brought out some hand tools and discussed which were preferred in which settings, looked at some UTVs hooked up with pumps to move water, talked about the importance of radios and communication, got our hands on some leaf blowers and drip torches, and even did some practice runs with it all.
Adaptability is a major in the Conservation Corps. Working outside in variable conditions can change a day’s plan, and being ready to swerve is a part of the position. While I’m sure most of us would’ve preferred a day with drip torches and choking on smoke, I’m proud of how willing we all were to roll with the punches. I’m looking forward to the next time I can suit up in my Nomex and, fingers crossed, wait to see if the conditions are right for fire.
