Not many organizations work with fire, but controlled burnings of prairie and woodland areas is just one of the many environmental projects conducted by the EIU Natural Heritage Preservation Society.

A relatively new group on campus, the organization was started in April of 2000 and currently has approximately 20 members, said Jason Madlem, vice president of the group. A majority of members are environmental biology majors, but the organization is open to anybody.

“It appeals to a lot of different people,” Nick Owens, president of the society, said.

The NHPS is a good experience for biology-related majors, Owens said, adding that the society offers members a chance to do hands-on work, not just listen to guest speakers.

“That’s not our main focus,” Owens said. Typically the group hosts one or two speakers per semester.

The EIU NHPS works in conjunction with a local nature conservancy called the Embaras Volunteer Stewards on environmental projects including seed collecting, controlled burns, endangered species monitoring and restoration work, Owens said.

Depending on the season, the group is busy conducting Saturday workdays at sites around Coles, Effingham and Douglas counties, conducting controlled fires, collecting seeds or monitoring endangered species, Madlem said.