Show Notes
Wildfires and Climate Change… what a combo. Dr. Susan Prichard came on the show to talk about how we might start to adapt our forests to the impacts of a changing fire regime due to a rapidly changing climate. What tools and methods can be used to help mitigate some of the most dangerous aspects of the fire reality we live in today. Episode highlight In this episode, Susan Prichard talks about using prescribed burning as a way to prevent runaway wildfires and manage climate change. Resources Dr. Susan J Prichard Adapting western North American forests to climate change and wildfires: 10 common questions Sponsors West Fraser GreenLink Forestry Inc. Damaged Timber Forest Proud Giveaway Enter YourForest10 at checkout at the Damaged Timber store for a 10% discount! Quotes 16.24 - 16.35: “Indigenous knowledge persists and… Indigenous people throughout western North America had a really good handle on living in fire country.” Takeaways At the cusp of management and research (04.28) Susan thinks of herself as a forest ecologist more than a wildfire ecologist. Wanting to be the best scientist she could be has inspired her throughout her career. The case for adaptive management (07.42) Susan is interested in adapting forests to a warmer climate. She’s been noticing similarities in fire intensity increases, fire loss patterns and fuel loading. Active management of wildfire (14.00) Susan notes that there are polarized views even in forest ecology. She highlights the need for active management of wildfires. The change conundrum (20.29) Susan describes how forests have changed due to the loss of Indigenous fire tending and how climate change is impacting the nature of fire. Balancing priorities (27.02) Susan talks about how “management is always very place-based” and that some tools work in certain places, not others. Thinning vs. burning (29.23) Susan observes that prescribed burning works well to clean up the fuels that carry high-intensity fire. Combined with thinning, it helps forests achieve more drought tolerance. The rewards of patience (35.04) Susan has noticed burn crews practice patience so that fire can be restorative instead of aggressive. She also respects firefighting crews for the work they do in wildfire incidents. Broker a new reality with fire (45.47) Susan’s “number 1 priority for society is to cap greenhouse gas emissions”, though we would still be living in a warm or dry climate. Fire and smoke-adapted (49.36) Susan talks about how people are using indoor air purifiers to be prepared for the next smoke event, to protect themselves from volatile organic compounds. Fire-wise and Fire-smart (53.36) Even though it is difficult for fire-impacted communities to deal with more smoke, there is an increased acceptance of prescribed burning. Communities are learning from one another about cultural burning too, and Susan hopes to do her part as a good ally to empower Indigenous voices to be a part of land management decisions. A can-do attitude (1.02.31) Supportive management, tolerance for mistakes and a certain risk appetite help fire stewardship, which will prevent any runaway wildfires. “Prescribed burning gets an excelled report card” (1.10.45) Susan states that prescribed fire escapes are less than 1% in the USA. She wants prescribed burners to be as supported and appreciated as firefighters are.
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In this episode of YourForest, Matthew Kristoff reflects on his nearly decade-long journey of podcasting and shares key takeaways from the most memorable conversations that have shaped his understanding of forest management, sustainability, and the relationship between humans and nature. This final episode dives into the lessons learned from past episodes, touching on critical topics like decolonization, reconciliation, and how we view and interact with the natural world. 🌟 Key Points 🌟 👉 Explore how treaties are essential to reconciliation and partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. 👉 Discover "contemplative forestry," a balanced approach that integrates intrinsic values and Western science in forest management. 👉 Learn how embracing Indigenous wisdom and Western science can transform forest management for a more sustainable future. 👉 Understand the need to uphold scientific integrity in environmental narratives, especially when popular ideas are challenged by research. ⌛ Takeaways with Complete Timestamps ⌛ [00:00:25] - Matthew’s Final Reflection [00:04:26] - Acknowledgments [00:05:21] - Dr. Matthew Wildcat (Episode 34 – Canada, A Treaty Story [00:23:28] - Dr. Jason Brown (Episode 153 – Learn Contemplative Forestry) [00:34:55] - Gary Merkel (Episode 141 – The Paradigm Shift) [00:52:19] - Connecting the Dots, From Paradigm Shifts to Scientific Integrity [00:57:19] - Justine Karst (Episode 135 – Reconsidering the Wood Wide Web) [01:06:34] - Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Episode 166 – Decolonizing Land Stewardship) Sponsors 👉 West Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/ 👉 GreenLink Forestry Inc.:https://greenlinkforestry.com/ Follow YourForest Podcast on: 👉 Website: https://yourforestpodcast.com/ 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourforestpodcast7324 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourforestpodcast 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 Twitter: https://x.com/yourforestpdcst/ 👉 Email: [email protected] If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it on your favourite platform! 🌟
Host Matthew Kristoff discusses the launch of the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC) with leaders Shelagh Pyper, Kelsey Winter, and Garnet Mierau. The conversation focuses on the urgent need to move past fragmented efforts to a unified, "whole of society" approach for managing Canada's wildfire crisis. The WRCC aims to connect knowledge producers (researchers, firekeepers) with users (policymakers, practitioners) to build national fire resilience. 🌟 Key Points 🌟 👉 Experts advocate for a societal shift to embrace fire as a beneficial, essential part of life, moving beyond mere coexistence. 👉 The WRCC's mission is to end fragmented decision-making by uniting partners, values, and stakeholders in one location. 👉 The current period is seen as a key moment in Canadian history to build a robust, holistic, and resilient wildfire future. 👉 The next and final YourForest episode will summarize and review the "large-scale lessons learned" throughout the podcast's run. 💬 Quotes 💬 [00:09:16] Shelagh Pyper: "I'm one of the principals at fuse, and that's what our specialty is, just bridging knowledge, producers with knowledge users and research practitioners, communities, also working with Indigenous communities and Indigenous knowledge and trying to connect those dots." [00:20:11] Kelsey Winter: "Now the wildfire situation is to a point that we're past the tipping point, and if we don't do something different, we'll just keep having the second worst, the first worst season over and over again. So I think the time is now." [00:13:44] Garnet Mierau: "I know, and I believe in this work that it can be done and that connection of the knowledge from the academic side or whether it's an INDIGENOUS fire keeper to that practitioner, that policymaker, that individual on the ground, I know that there's a strong need to make those connections." ⌛ Takeaways with Complete Timestamps ⌛ [00:00:05] - Embracing Fire as Part of Living [00:00:55] - Podcast Introduction and Host's New Role with the WRCC [00:02:49] - Introduction of Speakers: Roles and Expertise in Fire Resilience [00:05:39] - The Genesis of the WRCC: Addressing Silos in Wildfire Management [00:16:59] - The WRCC as a Network Connector, Not a Singular Centre of Excellence [00:19:39] - Past the Tipping Point: Why the WRCC is Critical Now [00:22:41] - Wildfire as a "Whole of Society" Complex Onion [00:25:50] - Defining and Co-Designing Wildfire Resilience in a Vast Country [00:31:24] - Setting Strategic Priorities: The Three Pillars of Wildfire Management [00:41:36] - Building Trust and Fostering Authentic Collaboration at Scale [01:13:24] - Colonialism and Fire Exclusion as the Core Systemic Problem [01:24:44] - The Need for Action Follow the guest on: 👉 Shelagh Pyper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelagh-pyper-73b86813b/ 👉 Kelsey Winter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-l-winter/ 👉 Garnet Mierau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garnetmierau/ Sponsors 👉 West Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/ 👉 GreenLink Forestry Inc.:https://greenlinkforestry.com/ Follow YourForest Podcast on: 👉 Website: https://yourforestpodcast.com/ 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourforestpodcast7324 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourforestpodcast 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 Twitter: https://x.com/yourforestpdcst/ 👉 Email: [email protected] If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it on your favourite platform! 🌟
In this episode of YourForest, Matthew Kristoff and Dr. Jennifer Grenz discuss the necessity of decolonizing land management by being "rooted in truth" - acknowledging the historical and ongoing legacies of colonialism that shape current ecological systems. Dr. Grenz, an Nlaka'pamux woman and the Founding Director of the Indigenous Ecology Lab at UBC, advocates for "Two-Eyed Seeing": braiding Indigenous knowledge and Western science to create a stronger, more resilient approach to stewarding our landscapes. The conversation explores how understanding this history is crucial for developing human-centric and effective solutions to environmental challenges. 🌟 Key Points 🌟 👉 Decolonization is simply acknowledging the full, true history and colonial legacies that impact current land systems. 👉 Combine Indigenous knowledge and Western science for a more resilient, complete ecosystem understanding. 👉 Rethink static concepts of native species and acknowledge the historical human role in shaping ecology. 👉 Prioritize the wisdom and values of relationships to the land and to each other over complex, bureaucratic, knowledge-based systems. 💬 Quotes 💬 [00:20:28]Dr. Jennifer Grenz: “I just want to work in a way that's congruent with what's on my heart, and I just really don't care what other people think anymore. I think that's also why my lab is structured the way it is. We work entirely in service to indigenous communities. So they're leading the question there, and I'll bring all the scientific tools in. I want to get as much data for them because that's an important knowledge translation exercise. We're gonna use it and analyze it in a different way, or we're going to ask different questions. We're along for their ride and supporting whatever it is that they want for outcomes.” [00:39:50] Dr. Jennifer Grenz: “We can't have reciprocity or anything until we're really grounded in the truth of what it is that we're trying to do. If we were more grounded in truth about what we were trying to do and not try to make one thing another, then we can really talk about what reciprocity looks like in those contexts.” ⌛ Takeaways with Complete Timestamps ⌛ [00:00:00] Defining Decolonization as "Working in Truth" [00:03:30] The Core Concept of Medicine Wheel for the Planet [00:07:16] Dr. Grenz's Personal Connection to Land [00:11:27] Challenging the Static Idea of Plant Nativeness [00:17:19] Rejecting Objectivity to Work from the Heart. [00:23:34] The Practice of Talking to the Plants. [00:28:27] Humility and Action in Reciprocity [00:44:45] Colonialism as an Ongoing System [01:01:15] Centering the People of the Land [01:17:59] Planting Seeds for Change [01:27:42] Relationship as a Key Guardrail for the Future
In this episode of YourForest, Matthew Kristoff and guest Shauna Matcovich explore the world of forest finance and the critical role of private capital in funding sustainable forestry. Shauna, a forester and founding director of The ForestLink, discusses the need to link the intrinsic values of a forest - such as its biodiversity and ecosystem health - to a monetary economy in order to drive conservation. The conversation highlights how private investment can be a powerful lever for change and a way to create a more resilient and sustainable forest industry. 🌟 Key Points 🌟 👉 Connecting Intrinsic Value to Monetary Value: Link intrinsic value to monetary value for a sustainable forest economy. 👉 The Power of Private Capital: Private capital can finance sustainable forestry. 👉 Beyond Timber: Shift to a holistic approach valuing the full forest. 👉 Creative Destruction and New Partnerships: Build new partnerships to unlock the forest's full potential. 💬 Quotes 💬 [00:00:04] Shauna Matcovich: "We live in a society where a monetary economy is how the world runs. So we need to have a link between these, again, intrinsic existential values that's tied to a monetary value." [00:15:48] Matthew Kristoff: "I think there's so much fear around imperfection that we're holding ourselves back, but we just need to start. We just need to take a step, whether it's perfect or not, just take a step. ⌛ Takeaways with Complete Timestamps ⌛ [00:00:00] - Introduction to Forest Finance [00:06:28] - Shauna’s Background [00:15:58] - Moving Past the Fear of Imperfection [00:17:32] - The Role of Free Markets [00:21:10] - Involving Private Capital [00:25:17] - The Emergence of Carbon and Biodiversity Credits [00:29:40] - Risk Management in Forest Investment [00:41:37] - The Bioeconomy and Innovation [00:46:45] - Reimagining Value and Partnerships [00:54:02] - Conclusion: Future Opportunities Follow the guest on: 👉 Shauna Matcovich : https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-matkovich-3ab32324/ Sponsors 👉 West Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/ 👉 GreenLink Forestry Inc.:https://greenlinkforestry.com/ Follow YourForest Podcast on: 👉 Website: https://yourforestpodcast.com/ 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourforestpodcast7324 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourforestpodcast 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 Twitter: https://x.com/yourforestpdcst/ 👉 Email: [email protected] If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it on your favourite platform! 🌟
In this episode of YourForest, Matthew Kristoff discusses the future of forestry with Dr. Gary Bull, a leading expert in forestry economics, policy, and sustainability. Dr. Bull, a Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, explores the evolving relationship between forest management, biodiversity, and the forest industry. He emphasizes shifting from timber-focused practices to integrating non-timber values like carbon storage, biodiversity, and ecosystem health. With decades of global experience, Dr. Bull advocates for rethinking forestry to create a more sustainable future. 🌟 Key Points 🌟 👉 Rethinking the Annual Allowable Cut 👉 Circular Bioeconomy and Wood Products 👉 Biodiversity and Carbon Credits 👉 Balancing Forest Health and Resource Production 👉 Indigenous and NGO Collaborations in Forestry 💬 Quotes 💬 [01:12:16] Dr. Gary Bull: I do appreciate an entrepreneurial spirit and a pioneering spirit and a change in mindset, and that flexibility that comes with being bold and pushing aside that fear so that we can take action and be creative enough. We can figure out how to finance that action. Because if you haven't figured that part out, there's no action going to happen. I'm not dismissing volunteerism at all, and I do think people can contribute in lots of good ways without money being currency. But I do think that this caution and this fear are probably what hold us back the most. [00:26:09] Matthew Kristoff: Industry worried they're going to lose out on business. The government's worried they're going to lose out on tax dollars. These NGOs are worried that we're going to lose ecosystem health and so on and so forth. And it's all fear. Let's move away from the fear. Let's move away from the finger-pointing. Let's try and work together. Let's see what we can do here. Such huge potential. It's amazing. So it's really about changing the value system, changing how we see and incentivize this type of stuff. ⌛ Takeaways with Complete Timestamps ⌛ [00:00:00] - Introduction to Forestry’s Future [00:04:40] - Dr. Gary Bull’s Background [00:11:40] - Non-Timber Values and the Role of Economics [00:13:54] - The Forest Industry of the Future [00:19:26] - The Case for Pricing Environmental Services [00:22:05] - Global Examples of Collaborative Forest Management [00:26:09] - Breaking Down Barriers Between Industry and NGOs [00:32:17] - Incentivizing Sustainable Forest Management [00:38:30] - The Role of Insurance and Real-Time Monitoring [00:46:18] - The Power of Carbon Accounting [00:55:08] - The Call for Creative Destruction [01:11:11] - Conclusion: Embracing Change for a Sustainable Future Follow the guest on: 👉 Dr. Gary Bull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bull-739b5511/ Sponsors 👉 West Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/ 👉 GreenLink Forestry Inc.:https://greenlinkforestry.com/ Follow YourForest Podcast on: 👉 Website: https://yourforestpodcast.com/ 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourforestpodcast7324 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourforestpodcast 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourforestpodcast/ 👉 Twitter: https://x.com/yourforestpdcst/ 👉 Email: [email protected] If you liked this podcast, please rate and review it on your favourite platform! 🌟