Southern Fire Exchange

Partner Webinar: Addressing Disaster Workforce Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
2021-09-30 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
For the past 18 months, emergency response personnel have dealt with the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to the regular onslaught of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and other hazards. In this webinar, panelists from the public health and emergency services sectors will discuss approaches for addressing worker burnout, promoting individual-level resilience, and mitigating the impacts of worker shortages as the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve.
Register here.
Learn About:

How decision makers can provide support to the disaster workforce
Strategies that can promote resilience and reduce worker burnout

Speakers:

Phil Ambrose, Glendale Fire Department
Curry Mayer, Seattle Office of Emergency Management
David Miller, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Sue Ann Sarpy, Principal, Sarpy and Associates, LLC

Partner Webinar: Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
2021-10-12 10:00 - 11:00, 2021-11-09 10:00 - 11:00
The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am ET. This series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars will provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires and ecosystems.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Giving Voice to Cultural Safety of Indigenous Wildland Firefighters in Canada
2021-10-12 12:00 - 13:00
For decades, Indigenous firefighters and fire operations staff have been engaged in wildland fire suppression activities, formally and informally. Little is known or understood about the experiences of Indigenous wildland firefighting personnel. To address this deficit, we developed an online survey and virtual circles were conducted specifically for individuals who self-identified as Indigenous and worked in wildland firefighting and/or fire operations for at least one fire season in Canada
Register here.

Research with Tribes: A Suggested Framework for the Co-production of Knowledge
2021-10-13 15:30 - 16:30
The 2021 Frederick and Joan Barkalow Distinguished Conservationist Lecture will feature Dr. Caleb Hickman, Supervisory Biologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He will present, “Research with Tribes: A Suggested Framework for the Co-production of Knowledge.”
Join the livestream here.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Hickman is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, one of the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee descent. After leaving Oklahoma, he received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Missouri Valley College, masters at Missouri State University and Ph.D. in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hickman has authored and co-authored many publications at the edge of ecology and social science. He has also worked with a variety of species across various ecosystems before finding his dream job as the Supervisory Biologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Currently, with a small team, Hickman works to study and conserve a variety of game and non-game fish and wildlife species and their habitats within the Cherokee homeland. He uses a combination of science-based management coupled with a socio-ecological perspective with an eye toward preserving traditional knowledge for the tribe. Hickman enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking in the mountains, reading Cherokee history, and participating in Cherokee cultural events, including, when he is able, the traditional stickball game. He is married with two wonderful sons.

Partner Webinar: Like Wildfire: How Climate Justice Should Change Disaster Response
2021-10-14 15:00 - 16:00
As climate change advances, communities across the United States are adapting to the increased threat of wildfires. Such disasters are expected to become more frequent and severe. In this lecture, Dr. Michael A. Méndez explores why it is crucial to understand how these events amplify existing inequalities, and how to lessen the resulting harms, in particular for the most stigmatized populations, such as undocumented Latino/a and Indigenous migrants
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Winners of the Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge
2021-10-26 14:00 - 15:00
Join the EPA on October 26 as we announce the winners of the Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge. Winners will share their innovative designs for low-cost solutions that quietly and safely reduce indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during periods when outdoor PM2.5 concentrations are high.
Register for the webinar here.
EPA and its federal, state, local and tribal partners held a Challenge competition to encourage the development of detailed plans for novel, effective, low-cost technologies to reduce indoor PM2.5 concentrations and protect public health during wildfire smoke events.
Exposure to PM2.5, an air pollutant from wildfire smoke and other sources, can be harmful to lung and heart health, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.

Ladies & Longleaf 101
2021-10-27 09:00 - 12:00
Spend the morning virtually with Land & Ladies host, Danielle Atkins, learning from the best professional and experts on Longleaf pine reforestation and prescribed burning. Topics include:
• Where longleaf pine grows and silviculture – Karen Brown, The Longleaf Alliance
• How prescribed burn helps habitat – Danielle Atkins, Land & Ladies
• Cost share opportunities for longleaf pine and prescribed burning – Susan French, The Longleaf Alliance
• Prescribed burning strategies – Alexandra Ford, Georgia Forestry Commission
Also network with other women landowners across the Southeast and opportunities for LIVE Q&A with the speakers!
Register here.

Partner Webinar: NWCG Fire Environment Continuing Education Subcommittee Fall Webinar
2021-11-10 12:00 - 14:00
Planned Topics:

Risk Management Assistance – NMAC support (Rick Stratton and Benjamin Gannon)
National Fire Decision Support Center (Mark Hale/Wes Hall)
Infrared Products and Use on Wildfires (Zachary Holder and Tom Mellin)
British Columbia Fire Season (Dana Hicks)
California (FS R5) Season Synopsis (TBD)

Register with the link below:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2910899178959153422

Partner Webinar: Science in Practice: From the Mountains to the Coast: Fire Effects on the Soils of the South
2021-11-17 09:00 - 09:30
Presented by Mac Callaham, SRS Research Ecologist
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 • 9:00—9:30 a.m. ET
You can connect to the webinar through Microsoft Teams.
Some key messages from this webinar:

For most of the last 10,000 years, the majority of the land area in the Southeastern US experienced frequent fires, which influenced forest composition and soil functions.
During the most recent 100-200 years, fire has been excluded from a large portion of the landscape, with associated changes to forests and soils.
What happens when fires return to ecosystems that haven’t burned for long periods of time? What are the consequences for soil processes? This presentation will present results from research on these questions in the Appalachian Mountains, the Southern Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain.

The Science in Practice webinar series is comprised of 30 minute sessions that summarize recent research with a focus on practical take-aways for land managers and practitioners.
View past Science in Practice webinars here.

SFE Webinar: Exploring Spatial Scale in Prescribed Fire Regimes with Examples from the Southeast
2021-11-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
SFE Webinar: Exploring Spatial Scale in Prescribed Fire Regimes with Examples from the Southeast
Description: Land managers often incorporate ecological principles into their planned fire regimes. One ecological principle that may affect the conservation outcome of prescribed fires is that ecological interactions are often spatial scale-dependent. While this principle is well researched in ecology, our review of the fire ecology literature indicated it is rarely studied in this context. Moreover, we analyzed trends in the size of prescribed fires over the past few decades to reveal that they tend to be larger than unsuppressed lightning ignited fires. We don’t know for sure if or how mismatches in the spatial scale of fire may impact wildlife and plants but we used previous literature from the southeastern United States to highlight some important interactions that may be fire spatial-scale dependent. Our series of analyses indicates that additional research focused on understanding spatial scale dependent patterns are needed to inform management which often occurs at larger scales than the research informing it.
Speaker: David Mason, PhD Student, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida
Webinar Registration Link: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MnVeZNiVTOSAn3NmA1gJuA
Webinar Partners: The Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and the University of Florida.
Webinar Target Audience: Natural Resource Managers, Park Rangers, Researchers, Public Information Officers, Outreach Specialists, Cooperative Extension Agents

Fueling Collaboration: Fire and the Carbon Cycle
2021-11-18 12:00 - 14:00
This panel discussion will explore the dynamic role that fire plays in soil nutrient cycling, carbon dynamics, and other ecosystem processes.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Don't Let Perfection Be the Enemy of Good – Lessons from the Longleaf Pine Savanna Restoration
2021-11-19 11:30 - 12:30
Join us on Friday, November 19 at 11:30 AM (EST) for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat: Don’t Let Perfection Be the Enemy of Good – Lessons from Longleaf Pine Savanna Restoration. Presenters Zach Prusak (Tall Timbers Research Station), Chris Matson (Florida Park Service), and Walt Thomson and Chaz Oliver (The Nature Conservancy) will look at the Longleaf Pine Savanna restoration process as an analogy for American chestnut restoration. While this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, the Chat will focus on how we can perceive this gigantic undertaking: Are there out-of-the-box perspectives that can be incorporated into the journey towards American chestnut restoration? What roadblocks and bottlenecks were encountered amidst Longleaf Pine Savanna restoration and how were those overcome?

Partner Webinar: Comparing Air Quality and Public Health Impacts from Prescribed Fire and Wildfire Smoke
2021-11-30 13:00 - 14:00
Join us for a conversation about the recent release of the EPA Report on Comparing Air Quality and Public Health Impacts from Prescribed Fire and Wildfire Smoke. Jason Sacks, with the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be joining us for an overview of the studies that provided the information for this report aimed at helping federal, state, local and Tribal partners and fire organizations make risk management decisions to reduce the impacts of wildfire smoke in their communities.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Reflection, Reset, and Residue in Wildland Fire Management
2021-12-08 17:00 - 18:00
IAWF WORKFORCE RESILIENCE IGNITE TALK
YOU are part of Mission Critical Teams: Reflection, Reset, and Residue in Wildland Fire Management
December 8th at 3:00 pm MST

Register here.
Mission critical teams are small (4-12 agents) integrated groups of indigenously trained and educated experts who leverage tools and technology to resolve rapidly emergent complex adaptive problems in an immersive but constrained (300 seconds or less) temporal environments where the consequence of failure can be a catastrophic loss. These teams are able to consistently innovate as fast, or faster, than the evolving problem sets by moving their focus from trying to predict future problem sets to building the capacity of the team to resolve whatever problem set emerges.
Reflection: MCTs are made up of experts like you who hold the requisite skill and solutions but may lack the language to pass that knowledge on to the rest of the team, such as knowing how to ride a bike, but being unable to explain it to someone else. Leaders in Wildland Fire need to find the language to pass on their experience and navigate between critical and routine environments.
Reset: Wildland fire is about having one experience after another, throughout your career. The question is how do we make meaning of those experiences in such a way that they fuel us, rather than distract us from the next experience. Part of this is about taking the time to find purposeful meaning with After Action Reviews which actually influence the story that team members will tell about themselves, and their team, after an event.
Residue: You are not broken. You are not a victim. You are not a survivor. You have chosen the hard path—a path full of extreme experiences, both good and bad, which leave memories. These memories, in turn, leave a residue within you, which if processed can serve as the fuel that moves us to wisdom and joy. If unprocessed, however, it will begin to build up, to harden, until you can no longer move or breathe, until all you know is pain and sorrow. MCTI rejects the idea that Operators, in Medicine, Fire, Law Enforcement and Military, must sacrifice their lives and souls, in exchange for living a life of service.

Partner Webinar: Boundary spanning features for collective action to reduce wildfire risk
2021-12-09 14:00 - 15:00
This presentation will share key findings from a recent Joint Fire Science Project, specifically on:
1) the multiple types of boundaries in managing wildfire risk, and the boundary spanning features that can help cross them;
2) what strategies actors utilized for wildfire risk reduction across five case studies in the West; and
3) questions and ideas for future research and practice. This work is intended to help wildfire practitioners and managers better understand and address these organizational complexities as they work toward greater collective impact.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
2021-12-14 10:00 - 11:00
The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am ET. This series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars will provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires and ecosystems.
Upcoming Webinar Special Topics: December 14th, 2021 – El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Michelle L’Heureux, NWS CPC
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Invasive grass-fire feedbacks in Shawnee National Forest
2021-12-14 15:00 - 16:00
This webinar is brought to you by the Oak Woodlands & Forests Fire Science Consortium and is the first webinar of the Fall Webinar Series
This webinar will be presented by Ron Salemme, University of Illinois
Registration is required (link below)!!
Webinar title: Invasive grass-fire feedbacks in Shawnee National Forest
Date/Time: December 14, 2021 at 1pm central time
The Wildlife Society and The Society of American Foresters continuing education credits (1 hour Cat 1) approved
Register here: https://umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwocOippjgqGdMQWd91Tqi1c98nUZndO0Ku
A unique Zoom Meeting link will be emailed to you. Enter the meeting room beginning at 12:45 pm (central time) on the day of the webinar.
Webinar Abstract:
Non-native grass invasions are altering fuels and fire behavior in forests, with uncertain consequences for tree regeneration and forest dynamics. We examined whether invasion by Microstegium vimineum, the most widespread invasive grass in the eastern United States, interacts with prescribed fire to reduce tree regeneration and evaluated how such interactions might influence long-term regeneration dynamics in the Central Hardwoods Region. Using paired invaded and uninvaded plots subjected to fall or spring burning, we quantified differences in pre-fire juvenile tree regeneration, fire intensity, and survival and resprouting rates of naturally established juvenile trees of varying sizes and species. Our results suggest that, while grass invasion can have varying effects on fire intensity, it consistently alters forest dynamics by reducing the resilience of tree regeneration to fire. Lengthening the time between prescribed fire applications in grass-invaded forests may be necessary to allow juvenile trees to reach an adequate size to survive burning.

Fueling Collaboration: Fire and Timber Management in Mixed Woods
2021-12-16 12:00 - 14:00
This session will focus on challenges and opportunities for using prescribed fire in mixed oak-pine forests of the eastern U.S. with both timber and natural community management values.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Bunchgrass Ecology in Fire-Prone Pine Savannas
2021-12-17 12:00 - 13:00
The Florida Native Plant Society will host the lunch and learn.
Join via YouTube here.

Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
2022-01-11 10:00 - 11:00
The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am ET. This series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC), the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars will provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods, and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires and ecosystems.
Register here.
Upcoming Webinar Special Topics:
January 11th, 2022 – Hourly Precipitation Trends in the Southeast; Vincent Brown, LSU/SCIPP
February 8th, 2022 – Flood Climatology in the Southeast; Jeff Dobur, NWS Southeast River Forecast Center
March 8th, 2022 – Citizen Science for Understanding Weather and Climate: The CoCoRaHS volunteer network; Melissa Griffin, South Carolina State Climatology Office
April 12th, 2022 – Acidification in the U.S. Southeast: Causes, Potential Consequences; Emily Hall, Mote Marine Laboratory

Partner Webinar: Tainted Grapes, Tainted Lungs: Extreme Wildfire Impacts to Undocumented Latino/a and Indigenous Migrants
2022-01-11 17:00 - 19:00
As climate change advances, communities across the United States are adapting to the increased threat of wildfires. Such disasters are expected to become more frequent and severe.
In this lecture, Dr. Méndez explores why it is crucial to understand how these events amplify existing inequalities, and how to lessen the resulting harms, in particular for the most stigmatized populations, such as undocumented Latino/a and Indigenous migrants.
Register here.

Fueling Collaboration: Smoke is NOT Just Smoke
2022-01-20 12:00 - 14:00
Smoke was already an important issue in wildland fire, but this summer is driving home the point even more across the eastern US. Whether it’s the western US and Canadian wildfire smoke or smoke from more local prescribed fires, what are the messages we should be communicating? What are the tools that can help us assess impacts? Attend this session to hear about the latest and greatest regarding smoke.
Register here.

SFE Webinar: Overview of the US National Fire Danger Rating System Version 4.0 (2016): Lessons learned from the Southeast US implementation
2022-01-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
A free one hour webinar from the US Forest Service, North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council, the Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and the University of Florida.
Society of American Foresters CFE Credit Expected.
Presenter:
Dr. Matt Jolly, Research Ecologist, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory
Webinar Description: The US National Fire Danger Rating System is the foundation for wildland fire preparedness and response decision support throughout the country. Here we will present the development and implementation of the first revisions to the system in 40 years. We discuss the improvements made to dead and live fuel moisture models and simplifications made to fuel models and summarize how these improvements pave the way for technological advancements in future fire danger systems. Finally, we will discuss the lessons learned while implementing NFDRS V4 throughout the Federal and State land management agencies in the Southeast US. Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speaker.

Register here: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Nb40EuIPQFKhiQMYNGBB4Q

SFE Webinar: Herbert Stoddard and the Origins of Ecosystem Management
2022-01-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
A free one hour webinar from Tall Timbers Research Station, the Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and the University of Florida.
Society of American Foresters CFE Credit Expected.
Presenter:
Jim Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station
Webinar Description: Herbert Stoddard has been undervalued and sometimes overlooked in terms of his contributions to wildlife conservation and management in North America. Although his formal education ended in the 8th grade, Stoddard fundamentally changed game species management through a focus on habitat management rather than bag limits. He also established the study of fire ecology and developed novel timber management strategies that mimicked natural disturbances, provided income for landowners, and also met the needs of rare species. Stoddard is also responsible in part for establishing the Wade Tract, the only National Natural Landmark dedicated to the endangered longleaf pine ecosystem. Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speaker.
Register here: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LT1PimqlRVSjrJTJdNsoNA

Partner Webinar: Community Health Workers: Building Cultural Bridges to Address Environmental Public Health
2022-01-27 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for the upcoming PEPH webinar: Community Health Workers: Building Cultural Bridges to Address Environmental Public Health.

Date: Thursday January 27, 2022 • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Registration (required): https://nih.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsd-GvrTsrHNIds8dTqR_wWMG73OuWaBg

A community health worker is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served, as defined by the American Public Health Association. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison, link, or intermediary between health and social services and the community. This linkage facilitates access to services and improves the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy. In the context of environmental health research, community health workers can foster trusting relationships between researchers and the community residents and ensure that research and communication approaches are culturally appropriate.
During this webinar we will hear two co-presentations about NIEHS-funded projects where academics are partnering with community health workers to address local environmental health issues.

For more information about the webinar including the full webinar description and presenter bios please refer to the webinar webpage.

SFE Webinar: Early Implementation of the US Forest Service’s Shared Stewardship Strategy in the Eastern United States
2022-02-03 13:00 - 14:00
Register here.
Presenters:
Destin Kee, University of Georgia
Tyler Aldworth, Colorado State University
Dr. Jesse Abrams, University of Georgia
Webinar Description: The Shared Stewardship Strategy was launched by the U.S. Forest Service in 2018 as a means to promote management across ownerships and jurisdictions in pursuit of common goals regarding restoration, fire risk reduction, and the management of water and other resources. Since that time, 28 states have signed Shared Stewardship memoranda of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies committing to working in partnership. This webinar reports on findings from preliminary research on Shared Stewardship implementation in seven states east of the Rocky Mountains (AR, FL, GA, MA, NE, NC, TX), focusing on understandings of “Shared Stewardship,” perceived opportunities and challenges to working across boundaries, and changes instituted to date. We will also discuss commonalities and contrasts with Shared Stewardship implementation in western states where federal lands are more abundant. Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers.

Fueling Collaboration: Fire and the Wildland Urban Interface in the Eastern US
2022-02-17 12:00 - 14:00
Notions of fire and the wildland urban interface often bring to mind scenes from the western United States, where catastrophic wildfires have led to catastrophic losses. In contrast, mapping efforts have found that the vast majority of the WUI acres can be found in the eastern United States. This panel will talk about how wildfire, prescribed fire, and climate change intersect in the WUI of the east.
Register here.

SFE Webinar: Tools for Hosting Online Wildland Fire Courses
2022-02-24 13:00 - 14:00
Register here.
A free one hour webinar from the US Forest Service, Tall Timbers Research Station, Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and University of Florida.
Society of American Foresters CFE Credit Expected.
Presenters:
Lindsey Curtin, US Forest Service
Zach Prusak, Tall Timbers Research Station
Sean Flanagan, US Forest Service
Webinar Description: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many fire practitioners are exploring ways to use virtual platforms to offer, supplement, and improve training. This webinar will cover two tools available for hosting online fire courses: the Wildland Fire Learning Portal and a learning management system owned by Tall Timbers Research Station. Presenters will discuss potential courses that can be offered, intended audiences, and how to use each platform. Following the presentation there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers.
Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers.

SFE Webinar: Results and Recommendations from the Southeast Prescribed Fire Training Needs Survey
2022-03-03 13:00 - 14:30
Register here.
A free 1.5 hour webinar from the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy – Southeast Regional Strategy Committee, Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and University of Florida.
Society of American Foresters CFE Credit Expected.
Presenters:
Jennifer Fawcett, North Carolina State University
Laurel Kays, North Carolina State University
Gary Wood, Southeast Regional Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy – Southern Group of State Foresters
Webinar Description: The Southeast Prescribed Fire Training Needs Survey was conducted in January 2021 to assess the state of prescribed fire training in the region and identify barriers, deficiencies, and areas for improvement. This webinar will discuss highlights from the survey report, including results from the nearly 1,000 responses and key observations and recommended actions to improve training across the region. Following the presentation there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers.
