I see in the newspaper the Metroparks folks have applied for permits
from the EPA to do controlled burns this fall, at Prairie Oaks,
Pickerington Ponds, Battelle-Darby, and (I think) at the
soon-to-be-opened new park down by Groveport. I'm sure other park
systems may be doing burns too. Most birders know that occasional fires
are part of the natural routine in wide-open grassland spots, and
periodically are carefully conducted in parklands to mimic such changes.
They'll take place after the fall migration, and by spring we should see
much richer habitats for birds over years to come while the
shoulder-high grasses slowly come to dominate again.  Folks who recall,
for example, the new Darby wetlands four years ago will see it renewed
in several ways, and the cattails, etc. will return in time, and be
burned once more. The few native trees involved--some over a century old
and others only knee-high--are prairie species like burr oaks that are
immune to rapid burns like these. Something to keep an eye on later.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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