2309 Meridian St
Bellingham
WA 98225
The Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society hosts chapter meetings on the third Wednesday of every month between September and May. We are proud to offer these educational seminars free and open to the public.
May Chapter Meeting: Westside Wildfires–Preparing for a Future of Wildfire in the Cascades
Climate change is expected to have profound impacts on Pacific Northwest flora and fauna. Wildfires have been a natural part of the circle of life in the western United States, but many decades of fire suppression and land use change are now compounded by longer and drier summers, resulting in unprecedent changes in the fire regime in our region. In this talk, our speaker will explore wildfire’s role in the ecosystems of the west Cascades, and how climate change and land management have fundamentally shifted how fires ignite and burn in our dense westside forests.
Our guest speaker is a writer, podcast host, angler, skier and former wildland firefighter. She left fire in 2019 after four summers working as a wildland firefighter, including two seasons as a hotshot. She’s used those experiences to frame much of the creative work she’s done since, including writing about wildfires, climate change and environmental issues for NBC News, The Washington Post, Outside, The Atlantic and Patagonia. She wants to empower Westerners to learn more about wildfires, which she does in part through a podcast called Life with Fire. The podcast explores the critical role wildfire plays in America’s forests, lands and communities.
To learn more about this event, please visit our calendar listing at the link provided.
