Rethinking Fire in Our Watersheds
In the first webinar of the Fire Files series, “When Fire Meets Water: Healthy Watersheds as a Solution for the 21st Century,” experts explored how wildfires, water, and watershed health are deeply interconnected.
Moderated by Dr. Ruth Waldick, lead scientist at our Climate Adaptation Research Lab (CARL), the panel brought together fire, water, and governance experts to explore how healthy watersheds can be a critical resource in the era of climate-driven wildfires.
Key takeaways:
- Wildfire is a natural and necessary process
- Healthy watersheds can reduce fire risk
- We all have a role to play
- Stronger local + provincial governance is key
The webinar reinforced what we’ve been learning through our own Climate Adaptation Research Lab (CARL): regenerative forest and water stewardship must go hand-in-hand, and solutions are most effective when rooted in place and shared knowledge.
Grateful for the leadership of Raincoast Conservation Foundation and POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and expert panellists Andrea Barnett, Craig Stewart, Oliver Brandes, and François-Nicolas Robinne, who emphasized the need for stronger governance, local leadership, and place-based solutions that bring fire ecology into water planning, forest stewardship, and community resilience.
Read the full recap and watch the webinar recording here.