KINGSVILLE, Texas — The King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) will host the Gus T. Canales Lectureship on Prescribed Burning August 2-5, 2021, in Kingsville, Texas, and online. The hybrid lectureship is designed to teach participants the safe use of fire as a rangeland and wildlife habitat management tool, and will offer attendees the opportunity to plan and conduct a live prescribed burn.
Lead instructor of the lectureship, Sandra Rideout-Hanzak, Ph.D., explains that all rangeland owners and managers should consider using prescribed burning as a livestock forage and wildlife habitat improvement tool.
“Prescribed burning will increase the quality and digestible portion of forage for both livestock and wildlife, while making it more accessible and palatable as well,” said Rideout, professor for the Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Utilizing prescribed burning as a management tool is simply emulating a natural event to which rangeland plants are well adapted, and it is the most cost-effective means to control brush invasion in rangelands, Rideout further explains. Many land managers want to use prescribed burning, but do not know where to start. This lectureship will give participants the tools needed to plan a burn and get started using fire on their own property. Both beginners and experienced burn managers will benefit from the lectureship, learning about state laws to gain a greater understanding of how to burn legally and responsibly.
A hands-on live prescribed burn will be conducted, weather permitting. “Participants will learn how to use the tools, and see how the combination of fuels and weather conditions, plus firing technique, creates the appropriate, manageable fire behavior,” said Rideout.
The lectureship provides the formal training necessary to earn continuing education credit hours (CEUs) for the Texas Certified Prescribed Burn Manager program. For burn managers in need of CEUs for re-certification, a one-day Continuing Fire Training workshop will be held on August 3.
In addition to Rideout’s instruction, Allen Rasmussen, Ph.D., of Texas A&M-Kingsville, Megan Clayton, Ph.D., of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Silverio Avila of Texas A&M-Kingsville will also teach various subjects during the lectureship. Rideout believes these instructors will contribute to an invaluable learning experience for participants, all three combining decades of teaching experience in prescribed burning courses and burning rangelands in southern Texas and the United States.
Classroom instruction will be held on the campus of Texas A&M-Kingsville at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Center. Event presentations will be simultaneously delivered in-person and online via a Zoom webinar. Transportation to the burn site will be provided by KRIRM. The prescribed burn will be recorded and made available to virtual participants within two weeks of the event conclusion. More information about the lectureship—including a detailed agenda, learning objectives, and location information—can be found here, or call the KRIRM office at 361-593-5401.
About KRIRM
Created and endowed in 2003 by the King Ranch family in celebration of the legendary ranch’s 150th Anniversary, KRIRM is sustaining the ranching heritage through education, innovation, and outreach. The Institute offers the only ranch management master’s program in the world. As part of Texas A&M-Kingsville, KRIRM educates leaders to make a positive impact on the ranching industry, offers in-person and virtual rancher learning opportunities, and provides innovative ranching solutions through an applied research program. Learn more about KRIRM and its commitment to sustaining the ranching heritage at krirm.tamuk.edu.
–King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM)
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