Wildfire Wednesdays #28: Wildfire Wednesdays Live - Forest Birds and Megafires

Hi Fireshed Members,

Tonight we are debuting Wildfire Wednesdays Live! Pop some popcorn or grab your favorite snack and tune in to the first speaker of the series!

This week’s Wildfire Wednesdays features:

• Information about the first Wildfire Wednesdays Live with speaker Jame Melonas, Forest Supervisor and community leader for The Santa Fe National Forest.

• An article from The Audubon Society about how megafires effect forest birds, such as owls and woodpeckers

Best,

Gabe

Tonight at 6pm: Wildfire Wednesdays Live Speaker Series!

Please join us for the kickoff of Wildfire Wednesdays Live tonight, October 7th at 6:00pm. James Melonas, The Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor, will give a (re)-introduction to the concept of a ‘Fireshed.’

To access the livestream, click here. https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF

The event will be streamed over the Santa Fe National Forest’s Facebook page. Go to the page to watch!

The Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition is excited to introduce Wildfire Wednesdays Live. This speaker series will feature weekly presentations with forestry and fire personalities that will build common understanding and deepen our conversation about wildfire prevention and preparedness. Please join us for the kickoff of Wildfire Wednesdays Live tonight, October 7th at 6:00pm. Come for the speakers, stay for the interactive Q&A in the chat. Save-the-date and stay tuned for more information.

Recent ‘Megafires’ Imperil Even Fire-Loving Forest Birds

Many birds, such as owls and woodpeckers, thrive in forest habitats created after fire. But the hotter, bigger, more destructive megafires out West might be too much even for them. A recent article by Deborah Petersen with The Audubon Society tells the story of how over 20 years of Spotted Owl Research in California was used to better understand how Spotted Owls respond to fires. This research provides a window into what might occur in the future if more fires continue to grow in frequency and severity, which they are predicted to.

To read the full story, click here.

Wildfire Wednesdays #27: Wildfire Wednesdays Live! - FAC NM Leader Profile - Era of Megafires

Hi Fireshed Members,

Fall provides an important time to reflect. After a busy spring and summer, let’s take some time to acknowledge what worked and what didn’t in our wildfire preparedness and community resilience activities. This is how we build community resilience and adapt through time. Please share your stories with us!

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

• Wildfire Wednesdays Live Speaker Series: Debut October 7th, 6:00pm

• A 20-minute version of Paul Hessburg’s Era of Megafires

Best,

Gabe

Wildfire Wednesdays Live Speaker Series Debut!

The Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition is excited to introduce Wildfire Wednesdays Live. This speaker series will feature weekly presentations with forestry and fire personalities that will build common understanding and deepen our conversation about wildfire prevention and preparedness. Presentations will be livestreamed through The Santa Fe National Forest Facebook and weekly links will be provided in our regular Wildfire Wednesdays newsletters. Please join us for the kickoff of Wildfire Wednesdays Live on October 7th at 6:00pm. Come for the speakers, stay for the interactive Q&A in the chat. Save-the-date and stay tuned for more information.

Era of Megafires: Now Available to the Public

Era of Megafires Official Trailer. To watch the full 20-minute version, click the link below

Megafires, wildfires over 100,000 acres, are currently burning our western landscape. How did we get here and what can be done about it? Dr. Paul Hessburg, research landscape ecologist for the US Forest Service, has spent the last 40 years learning about how we got here and what can be done about it.

Watch the full film here: https://vimeo.com/313468778

Wildfire Wednesdays #26: Virtual WUI Summit (WUFS) - How do Homes Burn?

Hi Fireshed Members,  

With so many motivated individuals involved in wildfire preparedness in our communities and across the country there is always something to share through Wildfire Wednesdays. This week I am excited to help promote The 2020 virtual Wildland Urban Fire Summit. If you or those in your community would like to share information or an event through Wildfire Wednesday, please reach out.  

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday features:  

• Information about the 2020 Virtual Wildland Urban Fire Summit 

• A Video by the National Fire Protection Assocition (NFPA) about how homes ignite from wildfire. 

Stay connected,  

Gabe 

The 2020 Virtual Wildland Urban Fire Summit: Register Today! 

Fire season is a challenging time let alone during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local governments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations that have a passion for fire prevention will host a virtual NM Wildland Urban Fire Summit (WUFS) on Thursday, October 22 and Friday October 23, 2020. The event provides a continuous effort among community leaders, fire responders, and government personnel to share the latest techniques, cohesive strategies, and resources for wildfire adaption and economic resiliency, wildfire preparedness, and planning.  

Registration is open until the day of the summit at no charge. Registration is available at https://www.nmcounties.org/calendar/.  

How do Homes Burn Down in Wildfires? 

Hint: They're not typically overcome by flames. As historic wildfires sweep the western United States, this episode of Learn Something New by NFPA Journal examines the facts of home wildfire ignition and some of the things homeowners can do right now to protect their properties. 

To check Check out this awesome video and find ways that you can protect your home, click here.  

Wildfire Wednesday #25: Wildfire Wednesdays #25: Wildfire Podcasts - Virtual Wildland Fire Conference - COCO Grant Opportunity

Hi Fireshed Members,

To strengthen the wildfire resilience of our communities is an incremental process that requires having challenging conversations year round, even when there is not wildfire smoke in the air. As Fireshed members we are helping to start these conversations in our communities and amplifying the importance of community building and wildfire mitigation. As we move into the cooler months, we encourage you to open up a conversation about potential wildfire effects with those in your community. Help us grow the network and amplify the need for wildfire preparedness across the state!

This Wildfire Wednesdays newsletter includes:

• Two podcasts that provide interesting and useful information about wildfire

• Information about the 2020 Colorado Wildland Fire Conference

• The Action, Implementation, and Mitigation grant program

Thank you!

Gabe

Wildfire Podcasts

If you haven’t already explored the world of podcasts, a podcast is a series of spoken word audio files that a user can download or listen to online – basically a radio-show you can listen to whenever you want. Podcasts are a great way to learn about new ideas and serve as great conversation starters. Here are a couple podcasts that do a good job of talking about wildfire and wildfire preparedness.

Hot and Dry is an excellent podcast about how climate change is affecting the Southwest and what we can do about it. Episodes discuss how we can live with wildfire, prescribed and managed fire, the wildland urban interface (WUI), The Rio Grande Water Fund, and much more.

To begin listening to Hot and Dry, click here.

Life Kit: 6 Ways to Get Ready for a Wildfire is a 14 minute NPR podcast that features an interview with Fireshed member Porfirio Chavarria who is a Wildland Urban Specialist with The City of Santa Fe Fire Department. This short podcast provides clear, step-by-step guidance for wildfire preparedness.

To listen to Life Kit: 6 Ways to Get Ready for Wildfire, click here.

Colorado Virtual Wildland Fire Conference

Discover Your Role: Reducing Wildland Fire Risk

September 30th, 8:15am – 2:30pm; October 1st, 8:15am – 1:00pm

One of the only good things about social distancing is being able to attend amazing workshops and events virtually. In just a couple weeks, The Southern Rockies Fire Science Network is hosting the Colorado Wildland Fire Conference and you can join into the event from your couch.

To learn more about this event and to register online, click here

Action, Implementation, and Mitigation Grant Opportunity!

COCO has released the Concept Paper and Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Fall 2020 Action, Implementation and Mitigation (AIM) grant. COCO will be accepting Concept Papers though October 8, 2020 until 5:00 PM MT. Click here for the RFP and instructions. Download the Concept Paper here or from the AIM Grant Page.

To learn more about this grant opportunity, COCO is hosting the Fall 2020 Grant Announcement Webinar on September 17, 2020 at 11:00 AM MT. If you are not yet registered, please register here.

Please share this opportunity with colleagues and organizations working on reducing their community's wildfire risk. For more information, please visit co-co.org.

Forest Treatments in the Fireshed aid in Medio Fire Suppression

Buck Wickham, Operations Section Chief for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4  and U.S. Forest Service-Santa Fe National Forest Fuels Program Manager Dennis Carril discuss how forest restoration treatments and prescribed fire work aided in suppression efforts on the Medio fire in a new video produced by The Nature Conservancy and Forest Stewards Guild. The full length video can be found on the Medio Fire page on the Coalition’s website. The shortened highlights version is available below.