Before settlers arrived in Wisconsin, this landscape looked remarkably different. Forests, marshes and prairies reigned over the Midwestern landscape long before farms, suburbs, and cities became commonplace. And when these products of civilization met booms in population more room had to be made for food, housing, and business. Consequently, forests were cut for lumber, marshes were drained for development, and prairies were cleared for agriculture…   

The northern forests have since returned to aesthetically serve lake property owners and cabin dwelling residents. The marsh lands remain withered, but are rebounding to provide flood protection for suburbs and cities.

However, the prairie doesn’t captivate the common eye like the north woods. It doesn’t offer society a practical function like wetlands and swamps. In fact, the prairie is incredibly impractical to maintain in a modern society because it needs fire to survive.

Fire clears out invasive species, halts forest growth, and recycles nutrients back to the soil. On the other end, fire threatens the lives of nearby inhabitants and homes, clouds highways with smoke, and prompts asthma attacks.

So fire, the prairie’s life-giving force, threatens the health and security of surrounding communities, and that threatens the restoration of prairies.

But who says prairies should be restored? Why does it matter if this ecosystem is brought back to Wisconsin anyway?

Check out Prairie Burn: Part 1 to see how Biocore students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin respond to these questions. Then take a look at Take 2 to see how they burn, the parameters they must follow, and the obstacles that stand in their way.