SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Instead of a typical spring break, students from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) traveled to Georgia to take part in prescribed burns, improving the ecosystem health, supporting wildlife and reducing wildfire risk.
Led by graduate students Maria Loughran and Anna Welch of the Applied Forest and Fire Ecology Lab, under Dr. Andrew Vander-Yacht, six undergraduates gained practical experience in fire operations and explored the unique fire ecology of the southeastern U.S., the college department stated in a press release.
With over a decade of combined experience, Loughran and Welch prepared students earlier in the semester by teaching fire operations and crew expectations. The students had already earned basic wildland firefighter certification through Dr. Vander-Yacht’s class, which included passing a rigorous pack test and walking three miles with 45 pounds in 45 minutes, to ensure their readiness for fieldwork.
Hosted by The Nature Conservancy and working with Georgia state agencies, the ESF fire crew helped burn 323 acres over three days, mainly in mixed pine grasslands, to support longleaf and shortleaf pine restoration.
“The crew members valued the opportunity to learn and work alongside experienced landscape management professionals who use prescribed fire, particularly students pursuing careers in fire ecology or as wildland firefighters,” Loughran said.
The experience sparked students’ passion for fire ecology, leading them to assist with local prescribed burns and start a Student Association of Fire Ecology club on campus.
