Managing Your Land for Animals and Plants

Private Lands Biologist to Speak at Hobbs State Park on Managing Your Land for Animals and Plants

Managing private land for animals and plants is a diverse science utilizing numerous techniques.  One of those techniques includes prescribed burns.  These are burns on lands done on purpose.  Removing leaf litter, dead branches, and thick underbrush through fire is a valuable tool for ecosystem restoration and for maintaining healthy forests.  Prescribed burns make an area less vulnerable to a destructive wildfire and more inviting to animals.  Prescribed burns also provide ash that filters into the soil, thus returning valuable nutrients, improving conditions for new plant growth, and for making those plants more nourishing for animals that eat them.

Prescribed burns aren’t just for the large land owner like Weyerhaeuser, or large public land areas like state parks or national forests.  Prescribed burns on small pieces of private land can be very useful in enhancing wildlife habitat as well.

Levi Horrell, Private Lands Biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, provides free technical assistance to private land owners on how to best manage their property to accommodate wildlife.  Horrell’s program at Hobbs State Park will focus on an in-depth overview of prescribed fire and the reasons for its use; however, he will be available to answer questions pertaining to forest/wildlife stand improvement; creating nesting, brooding, and fawning cover; as well as establishing annual and perennial food plots.  Horrell invites the public to attend this free presentation and to “Bring your burning questions”.
    
Where:  Hobbs State Park visitor center located on Hwy 12 just east of the Hwy.12/War Eagle Road intersection
When:   Saturday February 14, 2015    2:00 pm
Cost:    Free

For more information on this program call Hobbs State Park at:  479-789-5000.

For information on other programs and activities at Hobbs State Park go to the web site friendsofhobbs.com.