Forests, Fires, & People: The Human Element
Presented by the Center for Collaborative Conservation and The Institute for Science and Policy
Sponsored by Gates Family Foundation
Monday, April 5 at 5 p.m. MT
Watch the full episode

Wildfire’s impacts are deeply personal and affect us in numerous ways. Fires destroy property and, tragically, often cost lives. They can contaminate the nearby air and water. They require significant resources in the form of mitigation funding and first responders. Fires have also been shown to have a disproportionate impact on low income households and people of color, who may be among the last to receive aid. The question of how and if humans can sustainably live in increasingly fire-prone areas is complicated and tied to cultural identity values that are often at odds. Still, shared stewardship of our forests has never been more crucial. 

Tune in for part three in our ongoing wildfire conversation series on Monday, April 5 as we’re joined by Heather Hansen, journalist and author of Wildfire: On the Front Lines with Station 8, Wendy Koenig, Mayor of Estes Park, Colorado; and Christopher Roos, Professor of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University. They’ll examine the changing scope of the wildland-urban interface, consider humans’ relationship to fire through the lens of Native & Indigenous perspectives, and take stock of the very real costs of fires for people and communities. We invite you to send questions for the panelists in advance or during the live presentation. 

Forests, Fires, and People is presented by the Institute for Science and Policy and the Center for Collaborative Conservation, in partnership with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, the Southern Rockies Fire Science Network, the Colorado State Forest Service, and the Climate Adaptation Partnership. The episodes will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.