Prescribed Burns Underway at Quarry Park to Boost Prairie Health and Wildlife Habitat

(KNSI) – Stearns County Parks officials are again performing prescribed burns around Quarry Park on Monday.

The fires are lit in the prairie portion of the grounds. The park will remain open to the public. However, some trails may close on the south side near the flames. A press release says a burn is typically done every one to five years and has many benefits. Undesirable plants are reduced, decomposition is accelerated, and nutrients reinvigorate the soil for the seeds of native species that germinate in the aftermath.

Flowers and grasses fill in, attracting a variety of pollinators and birds. This leads to an ecosystem with plenty of hiding spots for wildlife and deep roots that stabilize the soil during soaking rainstorms.

The park was closed on Friday morning to allow part of the prescribed burn to occur.

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