Glenbard West students burn prairie patch to learn about ecosystems

In the eyes of Glenbard West High School teacher Eric Lindberg, to study science is to experience science.

He put that thought to work Wednesday as he and his students set fire to a small plot of prairie grass just east of the school's Memorial Field.

Lindberg said that and similar exercises he does throughout the year allow his students to see the philosophies he teaches in the classroom in action.

"Getting outside and seeing nature and seeing the intricacies and interactions are essential to understanding what you are studying," Lindberg said.

And what did his students see? After a couple of false starts, the 23 students in his field biology/ecology class watched as an 81-by-74-foot patch of land burned away. Students stood around the edge observing and armed with shovels, making sure the fire was contained.

Lindberg said the students will discuss what they saw in future classes.

"It's experiential," he said. "It's why I got into teaching. It allows kids to experience it firsthand."

Senior Mallory Carter said the class has given her a more well-rounded view of environmental studies. The 18-year-old hopes to major in environmental policy when she attends college.

Her interest in the field was sparked by another of Lindberg's classes: advanced placement environmental sciences.

"A lot of the time you can choose to be ignorant of the environment," she said. "But he opened my eyes."

She said the controlled burn was just another example of Lindberg's teaching style.

"He wants us to broaden our horizons and understand that the world is more than just yourself," she said.

Controlled, or prescription, burns are essential to the ecosystem of natural habitats because they remove invasive species and plants as well as debris that could make new growth difficult. It allows the more fire-resistant inhabitants to flourish as they use a larger share of available resources in natural environments.

One of those environments has been replicated on Glenbard West's grounds, but it is unclear how much longer Lindberg's exercise will go on.

Because of a plan to install artificial turf in Memorial Field before the next school year, its future has been put in jeopardy.

As part of the plan, the patch of land would become part of a retention pond. Lindberg said he has a couple of ideas for locations to move the prairie grass to, but he doesn't know what will happen.

"We would hate to lose this resource," he said. "It would be a shame. I just don't want it to go away without some discussion of its value."