There is a lot that Wichita State students can do to help the environment: joining the Green Group, a sustainability organization, remembering to recycle on campus, or, like biology student Alex Dudley, they can volunteer with Wichita State’s field station to conduct controlled burns.

“Watching the fire is really cool,” Dudley said. “But I think knowing what we’re doing for the grasslands is my favorite part … being able to take part in that, and help the ecosystem.”

Located in Viola, Kansas, the WSU Ninnescah Reserve field station is dedicated to researching methods of restoring and maintaining prairie ecosystems, including prescribed fires.

Before every controlled burn, Field Manager and Burn Boss Dexter Mardis takes the team through safety procedures. Then he assigns roles.

The various roles volunteers can be tasked with include “ignitors” who drag a torch along a line to start and keep the fire going, “blowers” who use gas-powered leaf blowers to extinguish flames to establish a blackline — a barrier preventing the fire from spreading outside the prescribed area — and people who drive trucks and Gator utility vehicles to transport people and water pumps.

Brett Riffel, a senior biology major, worked mainly as an ignitor for his first burn on April 11, following Mardis’ instructions to create a blackline to make sure the fire didn’t burn outside of the designated area.

“It was really fun,” Riffel said, “I kind of knew about prescribed burns in Kansas, but never really got to participate in one. It was kind of what I was expecting, and a little bit more. My favorite part was lighting the fire — I’m a bit of a pyrotechnic.”

Tommy Huela, a biology student focusing on environmental science, worked as both a blower and an ignitor at the burn. It was his third burn.

“(Controlled burns) are quite important,” Huela said. “You should not be so concerned when they happen, it’s a natural process to keep the grasslands the way they are.”

While controlled burns have many benefits for maintaining natural landscapes and preventing wildfires, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, they can also raise concerns about air and water quality, as well as potential safety risks when not properly handled.

Controlled burns are an important, yet demanding part of keeping the grasslands maintained, requiring time, effort and closely watching the weather. Even the slightest change in wind conditions can cause a burn to be canceled, as Mardis canceled a previous burn due to a burn ban being put into effect.

“It’s really hard and exhausting, but it’s pretty fun … It’s just being out, hiking and setting things on fire,” Mardis said.

Despite the intense conditions and demanding work, Mardis said he finds helping with prescribed fires to be worth it.

“There’s a lot of students I don’t otherwise interact with, except when they’re out here. It’s fun to get to know them.” Mardis said. “I think the most rewarding part is knowing that it helps the ecosystem and environment be more natural.”

Mardis said all WSU students are welcome and encouraged to volunteer for a prescribed burn. Students can email [email protected] for more information or to sign up.