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Discover Nature (Missouri Department of Conservation)

Discover Nature: Prescribed Fire

KBIA | By Kyle Felling
Published March 10, 2021 at 6:29 PM CST
White smoke fills a woodland landscape in early spring as short orange flames slowly creep across the forest floor; two firefighters walk along the fire-line in the distance with rake and drip-torch.
Managing land with prescribed fire can help maintain the health and diversity of Missouri’s natural communities. ";

For thousands of years, fire has shaped natural communities in Missouri. This week on Discover Nature, watch for smoke and fire on the landscape.

   

 

The first European explorers to document the Missouri wilderness noted American Indians’ use of fire to preserve grasslands for bison and promote regrowth of fruits, berries, and many other natural foods that flourish from periodic fires. 

 

Today, this ancient tool remains relevant as ever in managing pastures and woodlands for wildlife and food production, and combating invasive species. 

 

By removing leaf litter and dead plant material, fire returns mineral nutrients to the soil as ash, and releases carbons bound in plants back to the atmosphere. 

 

Although fire can breathe new life into the landscape, it can also kill. 

 

Prescribed burning can quickly turn into dangerous wildfires without proper planning, training, and resources. Learn how to use fire responsibly and prevent unintended harm and destruction by contacting your local conservation office. 

 

Find more information about prescribed fire as a land management tool, and find workshops and other information to help you use fire safely with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

 

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation. 
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Arts and Culture Discover Nature
Kyle Felling
Kyle Felling’s work at KBIA spans more than three decades. In 2025, he became KBIA and KMUC's Station Manager. He began volunteering at the station while he was a Political Science student at the University of Missouri. After being hired as a full-time announcer, he served as the long-time local host of NPR’s All Things Considered on KBIA, and was Music Director for a number of years. Starting in 2010, Kyle became KBIA’s Program Director, overseeing on-air programming and operations while training and supervising the station’s on-air staff. During that period, KBIA regularly ranked among the top stations in the Columbia market, and among the most listened to stations in the country. He was instrumental in the launch of KBIA’s sister station, Classical 90.5 FM in 2015, and helped to build it into a strong community resource for classical music. Kyle has also worked as an instructor in the MU School of Journalism, training the next generation of journalists and strategic communicators. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive pinball, reading comic books and Joan Didion, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and listening to Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band.
See stories by Kyle Felling
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