The March Hare: Winter '04
Issue 39

A Season of Change * Research Center * DR Drifter * Member Bio: Bob * Rabbit Hops Away * Nature Corner * Hopper's Index

Nature Corner
by Rachel Katz

It's ironic that having gone back to graduate school to study the outdoors, I spend much more time indoors in front of the computer or in the library. I don't get out to visit my plant and animal neighbors as often as I would like. Of course, when it's sixty degrees in January, I drop everything and go out for a walk. A day like that is just begging for people to go out and enjoy it. Or when the snow falls and there is enough to glide across the landscape on cross-country skis, you couldn't keep me inside. And the land always rewards me, whether with the white tails of deer bouncing almost silently away, or a covey of quail flying up at the last minute with a heart-stopping whir of wings.

Liberty helps burn a field

Being responsible for the land management and doing my research guarantees that I'll get out into the field sometimes at least. In late fall we pulled off our last major project of the year: a burn. We planted the small field we call "Good Prairie" in four prairie grasses a few years ago. It has come in really thick. So thick that we've had a difficult time getting wildflowers established. Burning in the fall clears out the leaf litter and sets the grasses back a bit, so there's some bare ground. We learned some lessons from our last burn and were well equipped. We put in nice broad fire lines and had a huge team of people with backpack sprayers and shovels, ready to keep the fire in control. We knew we didn't need that many people, but who wants to miss a burn? Certainly not our visitors from Russia, who were there ready to work. The burn went very smoothly (despite the tall flames burning the six foot high grasses) and afterwards we spread a bunch of wildflower seed collected from roadsides and other parts of our land. Hopefully in the next few years we'll see flowers interspersed with the grass, coming closer to our goal of restored prairie.

I hardly bit a nail during that fire. But I'm a bit anxious about the spring. For my research we are burning 25 acres in April at Dancing Rabbit (plus 50 on a neighbor's land). We have already disced broad fire lines and asked the volunteer fire department to help us out. But when I stand in the field, I can see my house in the distance. I don't want this one to do anything unexpected…

Don't let the cold weather keep you indoors. This is the perfect time of year for grand views and animal signs. And come by in April to help us heat things up.

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Land management activities at Dancing Rabbit are supported by donations. Donations of any size are welcome to help us plants trees, restore grasslands, and control erosion. Just note on your donation that you’d like it to be used for land management.

A Season of Change * Research Center * DR Drifter * Member Bio: Bob * Rabbit Hops Away * Nature Corner * Hopper's Index