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Prairie burn in Brodhead
Prairie Burn
Paul Roemer, center, begins to explain the prairie burning process to high school seniors Reba Walder and Emily Olmedo, left to right. The two volunteered with Roemer as part of their senior project at Brodhead High School. Clad in fire-resistant Nomex, the pair, along with Jason Rabotski, prepare to burn the Putnam Park prairies in Brodhead. “[Prairie burns] bring up light for the plants that are under than and increases growth because they get black and of course black absorbs sun and they like the heat,” Roemer said.

BRODHEAD — Green County skies were painted over the weekend with trails of smoke leading down to some of the county’s prairies. 

Though the burns are a normal part of spring, one of Brodhead’s March 20 burns was particularly unique, with Brodhead high school seniors Reba Walder and Emily Olmedo participating alongside Paul Roemer and Jason Rabotski of Taylor Creek Nurseries. Roemer spends much of his time maintaining the prairies in Brodhead as a master gardener volunteer.

The pair of students volunteered with Roemer as part of Brodhead’s senior project, a 20-hour community service requirement for graduation, but Roemer said that their involvement has far exceeded that needed for school.

“They’ve been willing to go the extra mile,” he said, adding that the girls have contributed over 30 hours of service with him.