Prairie Burn

I’ve long wanted to photograph a prairie burn and I finally made it happen!  Another drop in my photographer’s bucket list…

I grew up in western Iowa, and went to college to study environmental science.  One of my college summers was spent at a field biology camp in western Nebraska – the prairies of the Sand Hills.  I just really love prairies – the openness, the quiet, the wind.  I also love to see a big storm rising over a prairie – it really makes you feel small in the wide open spaces.  I even have a bit of prairie that I grow in my own yard, right outside my office windows.

So, I spent a warm and smoky afternoon recently photographing a very well controlled, expertly performed prairie burn.  Nature played its part extremely well – maybe too well.  The grass was a little green and damp, so it didn’t burn the best.  These photographs were taken during the May 1st, 2012 prescribed burn on Curtis Prairie at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum in Madison.  And, thank you to the staff at the Arboretum and the folks at BioLogic Environmental Consulting for allowing me to get up close and personal with the burn!

Enjoy!