Engaging in fire mitigation: cheatgrass control

Fire inspires action

On December 30, 2021 a grass fire began in Boulder County, Colorado. In short order, it grew into the Marshall Fire. The fire killed two people and, in terms of buildings destroyed, the Marshall Fire is the most destructive blaze in Colorado history. An estimated 1084 buildings were destroyed, including over a thousand homes, a hotel and a shopping center. 

Since the fire, the county has been exploring its management of open spaces and grassland that surround our communities. Four of the top five largest wildfires on record in Colorado occurred between 2018 and 2021.

Cheatgrass and fire

The fire had two different ignition sources and was quickly out of control due to high winds of over 100 mph and extremely dry high grasses. A very wet spring, followed by a dry dry summer and fall, made the grasses, specifically cheatgrass, very tall and very dry.

The fire inspired communities to change building codes and address grassland management more thoughtfully. See the extensive StoryMap, Grassland Management in Boulder County produced by The Watershed Center in collaboration with the Boulder County Fireshed Grasslands Working Group for a deep description of this work.

Students acting and learning

Initiatives inspired by the fire included Classrooms for Climate Action (C4CA) working with fifth grade students from the community to both pull cheatgrass and learn about relationships among grasslands, invasive grasses, and fire ecology. A key piece of this is students taking action to reduce climate related risks in the community and learning about why these actions reduce risks. 

When C4CA contacted the City of Louisville Open Space department, they told us that they frequently use volunteers to mitigate and pull cheatgrass and other invasive species growing in our open space lands around Louisville. They were thrilled with the idea of teaching the students about this, and getting them involved in this climate action.

Catherine Jepson, Open Space Specialist for the City of Louisville said, “The City of Louisville Open Space takes measures annually to mitigate the impact of cheat grass, a highly competitive non-native grass species that can pose significant challenges in natural environments. Collaborative efforts with the Louisville Elementary School classes to control cheat grass on Daughenbaugh Open Space not only helped preserve the local ecosystem but also reduces the risk of wildfire. By working together, the City of Louisville and local schools can make a significant difference in managing this invasive species and reducing the risk of wildfires in the area.”

The ACT for Climate Toolkit

Since the fire, the City of Louisville, surrounding municipalities, and Boulder County have been increasing their use of rotational grazing and other fire mitigation strategies to improve water retention in the soil, soil health, and manage the height of the grasses. 

The collaborative work of C4CA, the City of Louisville, and the students is an example of the application of the ACT for Climate Toolkit. (Boyd et al, 2023). The framework can be used to inform the design of instruction that incorporates climate action for a wide range of climate issues. 

This ACT for Climate Toolkit is a framework for planning climate action units that can be integrated into any discipline. In Louisville, Colorado, the fifth graders were studying ecosystem restoration and the Toolkit helped in planning a unit which integrated the local climate phenomena of drought and invasive grasses into their existing unit. Six months earlier, a fire which caused 40,000 people to evacuate, had come within blocks of their school. Fire carried by high winds ignited the dry cheatgrass throughout the area and burned 1,000 homes. Students learned about the emergency preparedness efforts of the county and the lessons learned from the Marshall Fire. Upon examining issues of climate justice in the local area, emergency preparedness for the Marshall Fire revealed several lessons to be learned in preparation of future climate events. Also, students partnered with the City of Louisville Open Space management to examine the data around cheatgrass spread. Additionally, students learned about indigenous perspectives on cultural and prescribed burns that had been guiding forest management for generations. Students walked to nearby open space properties near their school and were trained on how to remove cheatgrass in a way that doesn’t spread its seeds. Understanding the conditions which led to the fire, and giving students a direct way to participate in climate action made this ecosystem restoration unit relevant to the local community. 

When teachers and kids have an opportunity to participate in local climate action, we raise the engagement of their families and the entire community. Assisting our schools and communities in acknowledging the realities of drought in the west, the need to address the growing issue of invasive species, and identifying fire mitigation strategies empowers entire communities to take needed climate action. Students are the catalyst for change. Valuing their skills and contribution to local climate solutions supports student agency and hope as the next generation navigates their life long relationship with climate change.