Climate & Wildfire Institute

Warm welcome to our new Deputy Director of Development, David Lawlor. David is a seasoned nonprofit executive, development professional, and strategic communicator with more than 15 years of experience advancing environmental causes through fundraising and advocacy. He will play an instrumental role in building our fundraising systems from the ground up to ensure CWI’s long-term sustainability, operating at the intersection of policy, practice, and research to accelerate solutions to climate and wildfire. Welcome to the team, David. #climateandwildfire #welcometotheteam #staffannouncement #staffupdate #teamupdate #developmentdirector #funddevelopment #fundraising #nonprofitleadership #climateresilience #wildfireresilience

How can we ensure that policies not only recognize Indigenous rights but also provide the resources and capacity needed to exercise them effectively? This was among the questions posed by CWI’s Impact Program Manager, Sarah Caldwell, at the Association for Fire Ecology's 4th Southwest Fire Ecology Conference this week. Her presentation – “Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science for Wildfire Resilience: Insights from the Climate & Wildfire Institute” – illustrated how The Stewardship Project (TSP) and other CWI initiatives are demonstrating the potential of partnerships that combine Indigenous knowledge and Western science to build wildfire and landscape resilience. CWI Board Member and TSP co-lead Scott Stephens followed Caldwell’s remarks with an overview of “Realignment of Federal Policies to Recognize Fire’s Role” – a recent TSP article published in Fire Ecology that offers recommendations for the realignment of federal environmental policies to restore ecosystems and improve resilience across fire-prone landscapes. Don Hankins, another TSP co-lead, also presented on “Indigenous Stewardship Rights and Opportunities to Recenter Indigenous Fire,” providing recommendations to support an Indigenous-centered approach to wildland stewardship.  “Wildfires don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries, and neither should our efforts to address them,” explains Caldwell during her remarks. “The challenges of wildfire are immense, but so are the opportunities to learn, grow, and collaborate.” To learn more about The Stewardship Project, supported by CWI, visit: https://lnkd.in/guABKMqZ #climateandwildfire #thestewardshipproject #indigenousstewardship #indigenousfire #indigenousknowledge #westernscience #wildfireresilience #landscaperesilience #afe #southwestfireecologyconference

"Just as human-caused changes have made fire a danger in many places, human ingenuity has the power to reimagine and remember how we, and the creatures we share Earth with, can live and thrive with fire," according to our partners at Conservation X Labs (CXL). CXL's Fire Grand Challenge is a global call to innovators from around the globe to submit groundbreaking solutions to transform how we manage and live with fire in Western North America. With over $630K in prizes and support, the challenge encourages innovations that blend Indigenous, rural, and place-based knowledge with cutting-edge technology. Applications are due by December 2, 2024. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/eJ-N9ZUp. #climateandwildfire #conservationxlabs #cxl #cxlfirechallenge #wildfire #fire #firechallenge #firemanagement #innovation #technology #solution #collaboration

Taking a collective and inclusive approach to wildland fire management can help lay the foundation for more effective and enduring solutions. This was the theme of International Association of Wildland Fire's 2024 Wildland Fire Canada Conference – Transforming Wildland Fire Management – where project co-lead Scott Stephens shared the latest progress on The Stewardship Project (TSP), supported by CWI. TSP is a partnership of Tribes and Western science to consider how current federal forest policy can incorporate insights from Indigenous practices to better steward the landscapes of the American West. At last week’s conference, Stephens showcased how TSP’s continued engagement with federal policymakers is helping support the Tribal right to steward, increase the use of beneficial fire, and drive forward other key project priorities. Featured in a special issue of Fire Ecology, TSP’s recent articles also demonstrate how tactics such as implementing strategic fire zones and realigning federal environmental policies can help restore ecosystems and improve resilience across fire-prone landscapes. TSP and similar projects aim to transform wildland fire management, bridging different knowledge systems to build a more sustainable future for our landscapes. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/guABKMqZ. #climateandwildfire #thestewardshipproject #wildlandfire #wildlandfiremanagement #wildlandfirecanadaconference #wfcc24 #federalpolicy #indigenousstewardship #indigenousfirestewardship #knowledgesystems #ecosystemrestoration #landscaperesilience

Forests play a critical role in mitigating the impacts of climate change, functioning as carbon sinks that absorb more carbon than they release. But when these forests burn up, driven by rising global temperatures, they can instead intensify climate impacts by producing (rather than absorbing) carbon emissions. “Those fires aren’t just burning more carbon, but they’re also burning more severely, threatening a forest’s resilience,” according to a recent article by The New York Times. The article cites a new study published in Science Magazine earlier this month which applied machine learning to classify global forest ecosystems into 12 distinct categories to analyze how fire dynamics differ across regions and how the effects of climate change may factor into these differences. The study revealed that “Global carbon emissions from forest fires have increased 60% since 2001,” demonstrating how our increasingly hotter, drier climate is enabling more intense and more severe fires that can impede a forest’s ability to restore biodiversity and store carbon. Experts indicate that reducing emissions from fossil fuels, in conjunction with fire management practices such as mechanical thinning or controlled burns, remains the most effective way to mitigate climate change, according to The New York Times. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/deRyZ5C2. #climateandwildfire #forests #carbonsinks #carbonstorage #carbonemissions #climatechange #climateimpacts #forestresilience #forestfires #fossilfuels #emissionsreduction #firemangement #riskmitigation

Earlier this month, researchers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center launched a new initiative designed to accelerate technological innovations for wildfire management and mitigation. "The Wildfire Science & Technology Commons will enable researchers, innovators, and practitioners to collaborate on next-generation solutions by providing easy access to data, models, computing resources and expertise. Users will have the opportunity to contribute to a comprehensive catalog of valuable data and models, share innovative solutions and connect with experts across many disciplines and domains," according to an article by UC San Diego Today. Check out the details below: https://lnkd.in/gH58BikJ Register for next week’s launch event to learn more:  https://lnkd.in/gcNJqDyb

Last week, our Managing Director of Science & Research Kim Quesnel Seipp, PhD presented at Climate & Wildfire Institute's 2024 Signature Convening on Wildfire Data & Technology, as part of a panel titled “Exploring the confluence of wildfire data and technology with policy & practice”. Kim talked about how we use data to communicate the value of resilient forests to groups like state agencies, local governments, utilities, and corporations.

Really honored to be a part of a panel at the Climate & Wildfire Institute convening last week to talk about derisking innovation for our public agency partners so we can get more done more quickly. Fire Aside is just one of many awesome start-ups in this space that we are grateful to fund with our Smartest Forest Fund. Thank you to Christopher Anthony for leading such a thoughtful discussion.

Thank you to the Climate & Wildfire Institute for organizing a great event last week. We enjoyed the opportunity to join an amazing panel and discuss the intersection of data & technology for wildfire risk management. Christopher Anthony Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Amy Berry Hussam Mahmoud Truckee Fire

Are California’s forests becoming more resilient to wildfire? State leaders say yes ... "Nearly 700,000 acres of wildlands across California were 'treated' last year with prescribed burning, tree cutting, grazing or some combination of these and other forestry tactics designed to clear out burnable vegetation and reduce wildfire risk, according to newly released state data… ‘We hope you can see we’re making steady progress toward those targets,’ said Patrick Wright, director of the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, which is overseeing the effort to increase California’s forest management.” ... Read this San Francisco Chronicle article to learn how the Task Force and our partners are making progress and sharing integrated data with the public. >> https://lnkd.in/gzkbx2jy … #WildfireTaskForce #TaskForceProgress #Wildfire #TreatmentDashboard