Fire Learning Trail
Overview
In partnership with several organizations, we are posting signs along trails in order to enhance visitors' understanding of how fire is a part of the landscape they're interacting with.
Maine Locations with Fire Learning Trail Signs:
Kennebunk Plains Preserve
Kennebunk, Maine
Photo Credit: Logan Johnson/Forest Stewards Guild
Kennebunk Plains Preserve visitors will find five North Atlantic Fire Learning Trail signs on site. The signs briefly discuss the following topics:
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Partnership in Stewardship: Kennebunk Plains is the first property purchased with Lands for Maine’s Future Funds, Maine’s primary source for conserving public land for its natural and recreational value. The conservation and stewardship of this property has enabled land managers to use controlled burns, or prescribed fires, to restore and maintain habitat for a range of unique plant and animal species.
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Fire-Adapted Wildlife: Kennebunk Plains hosts an unusual and diverse community of wildlife.
Many rare and endangered species of birds, reptiles, and insects make their home in the sandplains and pine barrens. Many of them are fire-adapted, meaning they tolerate or even require frequent, low-intensity fires to maintain their preferred early successional habitat conditions.
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Sandplain Grasslands: Because the sandplain grassland is an early successional ecosystem requiring frequent, low-intensity disturbance, controlled burns and woody vegetation cutting are needed to maintain the ecosystem in the absence of natural fires. Without disturbance the ecosystem would grow into an oak-pine forest, a common forest type in southern Maine.
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Pitch Pine Habitat: Kennebunk Plains is home to two unique types of pine barren ecosystems, both of which are rare in Maine, a Pitch Pine-Heath Barren and Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Barren. In the absence of fire, White Pine and Gray Birch will become established, advancing the ecosystem toward a locally common oak-pine forest type.
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Fire, People, and Resources: Controlled burns are an essential tool for land managers who use it to prevent larger uncontrollable wildfires. By lighting low-intensity fires, managers reduce the build-up of hazardous fuels such as leaves, branches, and logs on the ground.
Major Gregory Sanborn Wildlife Management Area
Brownfield and Fryeburg, Maine
Major Gregory Sanborn Wildlife Management Area (WMA) visitors will find two North Atlantic Fire Learning Trail signs on site. The signs briefly discuss the following topics:
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Fire in Our Forests: The habitat found here at the Major Gregory Sanborn WMA formerly known as Brownfield Bog likely originated from the fires that burned across Maine in 1947. The Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak habitat is a type of fire-dependent forest that typically occurs on sandy plains and arises from past fire events.
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Managing Habitat with Fire: The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in
Photo Credit: Logan Johnson/Forest Stewards Guild
collaboration with conservation partners utilize controlled burns and timber harvests to promote rare habitats for wildlife at the WMA.
Massabesic Experimental Forest
Alfred, Maine
Photo Credit: Logan Johnson/Forest Stewards Guild
Massabesic Experimental Forest visitors will find three North Atlantic Fire Learning Trail signs on site. The signs briefly discuss the following topics:
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Managing the land with fire: Today, controlled burns are an essential tool for Maine’s land managers to prevent large, uncontrollable wildfires, protecting both natural resources and human interests on the landscape. By lighting low-intensity fires, managers reduce the build-up of hazardous fuels such as leaves, branches, and logs on the ground.
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Forest Recreation Management: We, as people, also benefit from controlled fire in this forest. Fire creates a patchwork of diverse habitats. This increases the diversity of wildlife in the area while also making time spent
viewing the forest more pleasant. Prescribed fires can create a more open forest structure, making the forest safer and easier to move through while decreasing wildfire risk to local communities.
Waterboro Barrens Preserve
Waterboro, Maine
Waterboro Barrens Preserve visitors will find six North Atlantic Fire Learning Trail signs on site. The signs briefly discuss the following topics:
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Managing Habitat with Fire: The boreal variant of a pitch pine – scrub oak barren needs fire to exist. Many species living in this habitat type are fire-tolerant, including whip-poor-wills, common nighthawks, eastern towhees, prairie warblers, and several hundreds of species of butterflies and moths.
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Fire and Nature: The pine barrens were historically maintained by frequent natural fires and periodic
Photo Credit: Logan Johnson/Forest Stewards Guild
burning by Indigenous Peoples. European colonization led to natural fire suppression to protect human communities. Using controlled burns allows us to return fire to the natural landscape while protecting surrounding human communities.
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Wildfire!: A wildfire is a fire that is unplanned and uncontrolled. Between 1902 and 1956, an average of 2.5 wildfires occurred per year at the Waterboro Barrens and surrounding communities. More fires occur today, but the acres burned is lower due to improved fire suppression training, equipment, and access.
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Work on the Fireline: A safe and successful controlled burn requires many partners and careful planning. Burn plans must consider ecological objectives, weather conditions, fireline preparation, necessary equipment, and crew responsibilities. The safety of all crew members is always the number one priority during any fire event.
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Adapted to Fire: The pitch pine - scrub oak community found here are adapted to thrive after periodic fires, keeping fire-intolerant trees like red maple and woody shrubs from taking over the barrens.
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Tools of the Trade: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential to keep everyone safe on the fire line. PPE can include fire resistant clothes, a fireline pack with a folded emergency fire shelter, a hard hat, leather boots, eye protection, gloves, a first aid kit, a fire radio, and spare batteries.
Wells Barrens Preserve
Wells, Maine
Photo Credit: Jon Bailey/TNC
Wells Barrens Preserve visitors will find four North Atlantic Fire Learning Trail signs along the yellow trail later this year. The signs briefly discuss the following topics:
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Managing Habitat with Fire: Land managers use controlled burns to restore and maintain habitat for a range of plant and animal species. At Wells Barrens, that includes plants like the northern blazing star and birds like sandpipers.
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Fire and Nature: Using controlled burns allows us to return fire to the natural landscape while protecting surrounding human communities. Landscape-
maintaining fire reduces the chance of extreme fire, improves habitat, recycles nutrients, and promotes desirable species' health.
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Wildfire: In spring 2018, an improperly tended burn caused the Branch Brook Fire, which burned for three days but luckily didn't burn any homes. Controlling a wildfire is very different from controlling a planned burn butthe firefighters, managers, and other first responders in the area are prepared for both.
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Work on the Fireline: A safe and successful controlled burn requires many partners and careful planning. Every person on a burn crew has been trained to work together to manage fire and smoke and ensure crew and civilian safety.
