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Future of Fire Phase II: Learning by Doing with Cultural Fire Practitioners Active

By Climate Adaptation Science Centers December 31, 2022

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Despite the pandemic, Future of Fire postdoc Dr. Nina Fontana developed and contributed to a range of projects with cultural fire practitioners from 2021-2023.



This funding will provide her an additional year to complete and grow projects started with partners as a Future of Fire fellow. Fontana’s work focuses on two broad areas: (1) improving best practices in teaching and learning about cultural fire, and (2) developing culturally relevant decision support tools to support cultural fire practitioners.



Fontana will continue to develop and assess group experiential learning and practices that expand cultural fire education for different audiences. She will also continue her collaborations with tribal partners to identify and foster sites of climate refugia; to draft community-based burn plans based on Indigenous ecocultural values and burning practices as well as non-Indigenous prescribed fire practices; and to develop culturally inclusive tools that monitor the phenological responses of culturally important species to fire and gathering practices.

Despite the pandemic, Future of Fire postdoc Dr. Nina Fontana developed and contributed to a range of projects with cultural fire practitioners from 2021-2023.



This funding will provide her an additional year to complete and grow projects started with partners as a Future of Fire fellow. Fontana’s work focuses on two broad areas: (1) improving best practices in teaching and learning about cultural fire, and (2) developing culturally relevant decision support tools to support cultural fire practitioners.



Fontana will continue to develop and assess group experiential learning and practices that expand cultural fire education for different audiences. She will also continue her collaborations with tribal partners to identify and foster sites of climate refugia; to draft community-based burn plans based on Indigenous ecocultural values and burning practices as well as non-Indigenous prescribed fire practices; and to develop culturally inclusive tools that monitor the phenological responses of culturally important species to fire and gathering practices.