The City of Brainerd and Great River Greening recently partnered to conduct a large-scale wood debris cleanup and biochar demonstration at Rotary Riverside Park in Minnesota, United States. This collaborative effort focused on processing woody waste, primarily invasive buckthorn, using advanced portable flame-cap kilns. By utilizing specialized equipment like the Ring of Fire and Big Box kilns, the project successfully converted problematic forest slash into a high-value soil amendmentA soil amendment is any material added to the soil to enhance its physical or chemical properties, improving its suitability for plant growth. Biochar is considered a soil amendment as it can improve soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity.   More on-site, serving as both a restoration activity and a public educational event.

The primary challenge addressed in this park restoration project was the management of significant volumes of invasive buckthorn debris, which typically hinders land restoration efforts. Traditional disposal methods, such as open-pile burning or hauling off-site, present several drawbacks: open burns create permanent scars on the land, leave behind sterile soil, and release approximately 99% of the stored carbon into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the labor-intensive nature of manual hauling often acts as a financial and logistical barrier for municipal land managers seeking to maintain resilient urban landscapes.

The solution implemented at Rotary Riverside Park involved the deployment of Ring of Fire biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More kilns, which utilize counter-flow combustion to maintain a “flame cap” over the burning biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More. This technology draws air from the top, causing smoke to be pulled back into the flame where it is consumed, resulting in significantly lower emissions compared to open piles. Staff from Great River Greening managed the entire pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More cycle—from initial loading and ignition to quenching with water—ensuring that the carbon remained locked in a stable, porous form rather than being released as greenhouse gases.

The project outcomes included the successful removal of invasive wood waste and the production of several cubic yards of high-quality biochar for use in local soil enhancement. This “conscientious approach” prevented the formation of burn scars and sequestered a substantial portion of the biomass carbon, which can now improve the park’s soil moisture retention and microbial health. Additionally, the event trained volunteers and land managers in accessible carbon-sequestration techniques, fostering a sustainable model for natural resource management across the state.