In September 2022, Indigenous practitioners, LTWC, and other partners kicked off the first of six planned prescribed burns for the fall. This aerial drone footage was taken by Paul Gordon of the City of Eugene, and is of Coyote Creek South — part of the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area managed by ODFW.
The 100 acres treated with fire include both wet and upland prairie habitat, which, along with oak woodland and savanna, are fire-adapted ecosystems in the Willamette Valley. Returning good fire to these habitats is essential for the health of numerous species that co-evolved with Indigenous people and their culture of burning since time immemorial. Burning also helps reduce competition from woody shrubs and non-native species in favor of native prairie grasses, forbs, and wildflowers.