Reframing Wildfire - Special Event
Reframing Wildfire
American Geophysical Union Voices for Science - Joint Communication & Policy Event
Thursday March 2 @ 3PM
ENR2 S107
Register here
Wildfire seasons have been getting longer and wildfires are becoming larger and more severe in part due to both drier conditions associated with climate change and fuel build up associated with historical fire suppression. This increase in fire danger has occurred in tandem with the rapid development of areas in the wildland-urban interface, where residences are built among historically fire-prone forests, resulting in heightened risks and impacts from wildfires. Despite this increase in wildfire-associated hazards, these ecosystems were previously fire-prone, fire-adapted, and even fire-dependent. However, due to fire exclusion over the last century, these landscapes are no longer fire adapted. As such, the relationship between wildfires and wildfire-adjacent communities is nuanced.
As wildfires become more severe and hazardous, it is increasingly important for communities in fire-prone regions to learn from past blazes and adapt to a more flammable future. Scientists, policymakers, conservationists, and artists all offer different and complementary perspectives to this interdisciplinary issue, by studying, framing, visualizing, and implementing policy changes related to wildfire. Using the Bighorn Fire as a case study, we ask: What can we learn about nature’s resilience in the face of severe wildfires? Join us for a panel discussion featuring artists, scientists, local conservation organizations and the US Forest Service to discuss how we can meaningfully (re)frame the wildfire and human interactions with the landscape.
Featuring:
Artists:
- Dana Fritz, University of Nebraska
- Martina Shenal, University of Arizona
Scientists:
- Molly Hunter and Rachel Mitchell, University of Arizona
- Jonathan Horst, Tucson Audubon - saguaro resilience project
- John Thornburg, USFS, Deputy FMO (Fire Management program) for NPS/USFS
Following the event, attendees are invited to join the panelist for a happy hour event 5-6:30PM at Crooked Tooth Brewery. One drink ticket and Hors D'oeuvre will be provided.
