2009 Fire Ecology Institute for Educators

Well, now that I am back and in the comfort of my own home I have begun to take a second to sit back and reflect on my recent experience with the Fire Ecology Institute. I cannot even begin to describe what a wonderful experience it was. We spent all week engaged in wonderful classroom activities, listened to many talented and knowledgeable speakers, and visited many cool sites that had been affected by fire or had been altered by fire mitigation. I just wish I hadn’t had to deal with Lyme Disease all week.
I have spent the last four years teaching Earth and Physical Science to 9th graders at Summit High School. Our units include everything from Inquiry and the Scientific Method, Colorado Water and Watersheds, The Atmosphere, Weather, Space, Matter and Energy, and Motion and Forces. In the past I have typically taught a little bit about fire as part of the weather unit. However, after taking this class, there is so much more I want to do.
As I sit here and unpack the many great materials I received from the class I cannot believe the wealth of knowledge that was presented to me last week. As a wildland firefighter, I have always tried to find ways to incorporate that experience with my teaching to educate my students about fire ecology. As a resident of Summit County it is impossible to look around without noticing the effects of drought and the mountain pine beetle. The residents know we have a massive problem on our hands, but they have little idea of how we got here.
Because of this I will be spending the next few weeks looking through the curriculum I teach in my 9th grade Earth and Physical Science class to retrofit the themes and activities I was able to experience as part of the class. Next year I want to fit forest ecology and fire behavior as a large part of my Colorado Water and Watersheds unit. This is a work in progress, and it will get better with time.
Right now, the questions I want to address are:
What roles do our forests play in preserving our watersheds and ski areas? How has the mining history of the area affected the natural history of our forests? What is the current status of our forests? How did we get here? What affect has the mountain pine beetle had in the health of our forests? How are our forests currently managed? Is it working? Do we live in a red zone? How can we manage our forests and the mountain pine beetle epidemic so that they are healthy and able support our watersheds and ski areas? What will the forests of the future look like up here?