On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, crews from the City of Ankeny’s Parks and Recreation Department instigated a controlled burn of Horizon Park.
Controlled burns keep the weeds from taking over new prairie plantings and keep aggressive trees, like willows, from dominating prairie plantings. In existing prairie plantings, the controlled burn removes dead vegetation and controls aggressive species.
Central Iowa’s landscape was once dominated by tall grass prairies. These ecosystems have an abundance of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The native grasses and forbs (flowers) also provide seed and nectar for insects, butterflies, birds, and small mammals.