Controlled Burn Readies Waters' Garden for Spring (PHOTOS)

Waters Elementary is ready for spring after a fire crawled through its community garden and prairie Saturday afternoon. The fire was set on purpose—all part of a controlled burn by the school's ecology department. 

Just more than 10 people came to the school Saturday to help with the project. The group grew, as nearby neighbors stopped to watch the process. The fire was controlled at all times by water, rakes and suppressants. 

Burns are necessary to maintain the ecosystem of the prairie, Waters ecology teacher Pete Leki said. It suppresses weeds and lets native seeds sprout up. Fire also darkens the soil, allowing for the sunshine to warm it faster. Burning can only be done when the weather conditions are favorable, like warmer temperatures and wind from the south. 

Leki is no stranger to the heat; the ecology teacher has been taking care of the forest for more than 40 years through the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

When Leki started teaching, he got students involved with a small patch of space at Cicero and Foster by the Chicago River. Students go out three times a year for three years to help the land. Over the years, Leki said, the quality of the area has gotten better and better. 

"They have this long exposure to the space and have a huge impact on the land," he said. 

The ecology teacher also started the prairie and community garden at Waters. What used to be an all asphalt space with four old Burr Oaks is now a large green space. Leki started the garden not only for students, but also as a way to save the Oaks. 

"They were just begging for something better than to be stranded by asphalt," he said. 

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