2024 "Feel the Burn" 5K Run/Walk - June 22, 2024 10am - Lapham Peak
Among Lapham Peaks most popular attractions are its many pristine prairies.
The restoration efforts of the prairies within the park go back a few decades involving an incredible amount of work done by the Friends of Lapham Peak - dedicated volunteers, and the DNR's staff!
One of the most important parts of prairie restoration and maintenance involves fire. Prescribed burning allows natural prairie grasses and flowers to thrive while suppressing invasive species like thistle, buckthorn, honeysuckle, boxelder, and Crown Vetch. These unwanted plants and shrubs are detrimental to our restoration efforts and threaten the prairies we’ve worked so hard to restore.
In recent years, work responsibilities have changed, and park staff no longer plan or conduct prescribed burns. The Friends of Lapham Peak have taken over the role of coordinating this work with the help of contracted services in partnership with the Park's Property Manager. The cost of burning our prairies is roughly $85/acre. With several hundred acres of prairie at Lapham, this quickly becomes an expensive venture.
Saturday the 22nd was a rainy day, but most of the runners finished in between the raindrops. Thank you to everyone who came out and participated, and to Bang'in Burgers for sharing proceeds with us, thanks to Good Oak Ecological Services for sponsoring the event again this year, and to Colton Kelly and Kris Maki for all of the organizing. Native Prairie Seeds and T-Shirts, Caps, etc., were sold as a fundraiser at the event, additional seeds and merchandise are available for purchase, to help us with prairie and woodland restoration costs, at the Park Office. Stop in and shop!
Prior Year Results
Together with the Friends of Lapham Peak, our Sponsor for 2022 & 2023 & 2024 includes our Burn Contractor!
