Last Saturday was the final day of the fire workshop “Managing our Fire-shed”, hosted by Sierra Streams Institute in partnership with University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources (UCANR). The workshop was funded by an EPA Environmental Education grant for community fire education. Participants in the course gained valuable background knowledge on the ecological role of prescribed fire, as well as the risks to consider with prescribed burns.
Our presenters provided great detail on the nuances of what prescribed fire means for the complex landscapes that exist in the Sierra Nevada. These landscapes are a collage of private and public lands, and contain varied fuel loads and topography, two factors that people must consider when planning prescribed burns. Fire education workshops such as this one are essential in our community as the risk of fires increases with a changing climate.
A huge thank you to our speakers Kate Wilkin and Ali Stefanchic, and prescribed fire tour presenters Badri Matlock and Mark Goering of Ananda, Chris Friedel from the Yuba Watershed Institute, and Joanne and Rusty Fites-Kaufman! Sponsors for the event included Ananda, Yuba Watershed Institute, Woolman at Sierra Friends Center, and the San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Association.