Reflection by CL

I learned of the 2013 Fire Ecology class for educators through my husband who is a volunteer fireman and educator.  He was attending a fire mitigation class when he heard Shawna Crocker mention this class.  At first I was apprehensive about taking the class because I have never been too interested in this topic, and wasn’t too sure that it would apply to Social Studies.  I still decided to sign up and see what it was all about.  I am glad I did!

Immediately I learned that fire has always been a part of our history.  I also learned how it affects societies as a whole.  So my assumption that it wouldn’t apply to History/Social studies was wrong.  I realized that Fire Ecology relates all core subjects together, and blurs the lines between subjects.

The class never had a dull moment.  The entire week was packed with presenters and activities.  I honestly felt that the class could have been a couple of days longer than scheduled.  There is too much to learn and there is not enough time to learn it all. I am not a person who likes to just sit, so this was a great class for me to take.  While we did have to sit a lot, we were also able to leave the classroom and take field trips.  My favorite day was the first field trip.  We went to the Upper South Platte Water Shed office.  Theresa Springer spoke to us about the impact fires have on the watersheds.  This had never crossed my mind before.  I never took the time to think beyond the fire and it getting put out.  She spoke to us about the effect the Hayman Fire had on the watershed.  She then told us more about the recent Waldo fire and the effect it will have on the watershed and the surrounding communities. We left from there and headed to visit some homes in Cascade.  The homes were surrounded by a long tall wall of sand bags.  These were placed there to help buy the residents some  time to hopefully make it out safely.  We were also told how the town of Manitou Springs could be destroyed by flash floods. Since the class, I have seen flash flood warning for that area at least twice.  During one of the warnings, they received enough rain to cause major havoc and it closed down highway 24.  I watched a video of a Gazette videographer getting washed away in the mud river which covered highway 24.  After this presentation, I questioned whether it is better for a person’s home to burn or be saved.  It seems that if a home is saved, it is now involved in a whole new set of problems; i.e. mud slides and flooding.  These new problems can last for years.  I never knew of the problems present after a fire.

From Cascade, we drove to Blodgett.  Blodgett is an area that was involved in the Waldo Canyon fire.  We met a geologist who took us for a hike into the burn area.  There we learned about hydrophobic soil and how it occurs.  We tested soil to see whether it was hydrophobic.  As suspected, in places the soil was hydrophobic. Since the soil doesn’t accept water easily, it is no wonder that burn areas experience flash flooding.  Prior to this class, I thought that if there was flooding it was due to the lack of vegetation.

I also enjoyed the presenters.  Each one had something new to teach us.  My favorite one was Amy from Colorado Springs Fire Department.  She is in charge of the Mitigation program.  I was impressed with her slide show and knowledge.  She doesn’t force people to strict mitigation, but offers suggestions. The pictures of the homes that had mitigated prior to the Waldo Canyon fire definitely made an impression on me.  Mitigation is one of the keys to reducing the risk of losing a home in a fire.

I am glad I attended this class.  I learned a lot more than I will ever be able to teach.  I am hoping to raise my students awareness of the importance of fire and living with fire. I recommend all educators to take this class.  You won’t be sorry!

Reflection by DP

My journey to the Fire Institute this summer started with my passion for teaching up-to-date and relevant science to my 6^th graders.  Last summer, our city was surprised and devastated by the Waldo Canyon Fire.  My students had a connection to the natural world that was emotional and immediate.  I incorporated their understanding of what happened during the summer as we discussed how to gather data, analyze data, and share our findings from our research.  The students shared their feelings through word portraits and eventually by writing letters to pen pals in another state.  At the end of our mini-unit on the Waldo Canyon Fire, the students asked for more.  I asked myself how I could give them more and give myself more understanding of the wildfires that have been annually affecting our Colorado skies. 

In the past, I have studied the Haymen Fire from 2002 with mini workshops put on by Project Learning Tree.  I have seen how our environment recovers from wildfires, and learned many things to share with my students.  But the Fire Institute at the Nature Place was a totally different experience.  This adventure gave me the opportunity to meet and hear from people who are regularly fighting fires, mitigating fire-prone areas, and preventing flooding from killing those already saved from the fires.  I had no idea all the different organizations that have to work together to save and protect we humans who have changed the natural landscape of our beautiful state.  We spent many years putting out the fires, and now we are learning what that did to the natural course of events in Colorado’s forests. 

Two weeks prior to the Fire Institute, another fire hit the city of Colorado Springs.  But this time, instead of being across town from the flames, my students and I were face to face with them.  My school district was evacuated.  Friends, family, and loved ones kept in constant contact as we watched and waited to see whether our own properties would survive.  My former students asked me questions via emails and I strove to answer them as well as I could.  But as the days progressed, I realized how little all of us really know about what is going on in our wildland areas.  Black Forest lost a lot.  The community is holding itself together and working towards a better future.  Everyone is learning as we live.  While I was fortunate enough to escape the flames of the fire itself, it spoke to me in a more visceral way.  I needed to know what was going on.  I had to understand why these fires were so destructive and hard to control.  And I wanted to be able to explain these things to my students, my friends, my family, and most importantly, to myself. 

The Fire Institute did more than meet my expectations.  It did more than answer my questions.  It provided me with resources to help build a more knowledgeable community of learners in my students.  It introduced me to new areas of Fire Ecology.  I traveled through and studied many fires from the past 20 years in the Southern Colorado region.  I learned why flash floods become a problem after fires, and learned new ways to teach this to my students.  I was shown the actual mitigation efforts put in place daily by CUSP, the State and National Forest Services, and the many Fire Departments that must work together.  We looked at a 3D aerial view of the canyons that lead into the Colorado Springs area and discussed what the worst flooding could do after hitting the Waldo Canyon burn scar areas.

Less than 2 days after finishing the Fire Institute, a brief rain storm turned into flooding and mudslides throughout the Manitou Springs and western Colorado Springs areas.  Highway 24 was closed right where our presenters had discussed the possible floods.  The canyons directed the flow of the water and debris just as predicted.  And as I watched the events unfold on the news, I realized that I understood exactly what was happening.  Not only that, I knew why it was happening.  I could see how the mitigation efforts helped in some places, and how nature really can roll right over us.  The goal of flood mitigation is to save lives.  Well, no one died that day.  Less than two weeks later another storm hit.   Highway 24 was closed again, flooding occurred in some similar areas.  Still, there were no deaths.  While everyone remarked how devastating these floods have been, I thanked God that we have the ability to get people out safe.  We have the ability to forecast floods in these areas.  We have the ability to work together and give people enough time to get out safe.  This “AHA” moment for me was more powerful than I can express on a piece of paper.  I hope to express my gratitude for the knowledge I gained at the Fire Institute by sharing my newfound knowledge with countless students to come. 

Thank you to everyone involved in helping me truly understand more of what is happening around me.  I definitely don’t understand it all.  I have many resources to help me continue my education and understanding.  Better than that, I know who to call when I just need an answer to a student’s difficult question.  I know that that this is one of the best educational experiences I have received in my life, I know I want to attend next year, and I know I will be bringing as many people with me as I can!  

Reflection by DW

In short, the Fire Ecology Institute was eye-opening.  I had heard about various wildfires and damage from wildfires over the years, but really had little first-hand knowledge about wildfire issues.  As I listened to the various speakers—speakers from diverse backgrounds and filling diverse rolls in the community—I was struck by how unified the story they told was.  Based upon the sampling represented by these speakers, there was clear consensus in the fire community about the impacts of fire suppression over the last century and what needs to be done to return our forests to a more natural, sustainable state.

With such a clear consensus in the fire community, I am surprised how little this message has made it into the mainstream media, our legislatures, and everyday conversation.  The message is ready for the public, but the public has had little exposure to it yet—at least from my perspective.  This impression has strengthened my desire to take the message into my classroom and make sure my students have at least a basic understanding about the unhealthy state of our forests.  One of the themes we discuss all year in my earth science classes is the idea that human activity has unintended consequences; because the natural world is composed of interconnected systems, society’s attempts to “control” nature—however well-intentioned—can backfire in unexpected ways.  The unhealthy state of the forests today is a perfect example of this, and it is one I think students need to hear about.

As for the Institute itself:  I was very pleased with the breadth and depth of material that was presented, and was especially pleased with the variety and quality of the speakers we heard over the course of the week.  Getting to hear from highly qualified people with diverse roles—fire fighting on the ground, forest and wildlife management, public education, research, etc.—was invaluable.  The field trips were excellent—they made the classroom concepts tangible and added necessary “ground truth” to what was being discussed.  I also was impressed with the abundance of resources I can take back to my classroom.  My only difficulty will be figuring out which of the many good activities and resources I’ll be able to fit in the very limited amount of class time we have each semester.

Being an earth science teacher, I plan to focus on the effects of wildfire on water and erosion issues, and the impact these things have on downstream communities.  My lesson plan reflects this focus.

Thank you for all your hard work planning and presenting the Fire Ecology Institute.  I am very pleased to have been part of it.

Reflection by NS

I had a three-fold purpose as I entered the week of study; 1) increase my content knowledge of forest attributes, wild land fires, fire mitigation, and the other topics to be presented; 2) gain a better understanding of wildfire prevention, affects and firefighting strategies as my husband is a firefighter and has been involved with the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires; 3) return from the institute with lessons and information to share with my students to increase their understanding, respect for and future relationship with the forest.

Reading the story about the events surrounding the fire on Storm King Mountain set a tone of the serious need for teamwork and respect of knowledge in an area of expertise where wild land fires are concerned. Having the Black Forest Fire devastate my community was surreal and ominous all at the same time, particularly as it took place days before this week of study.

Goal 1 was met as all the guest speakers, films, activities, tours and handouts served to increase my knowledge. I learned about the human ignorance of forest behavior and the importance fire plays in a healthy forest ecosystem over the decades, as well as the difficult task ahead to educate the public of the important need for mitigation, forest behavior education and the human component that effects forests, fires, mitigation and societal acceptance and responsibility towards all of the previously mentioned topics.

Goals 2 & 3 were met, as my foundational fire ecology knowledge was very limited prior to this class. Program Coordinator, Amy Sylvester of CSFD, shared a very convincing presentation in connection to the work that has been done (and is on-going) with the Colorado Springs community in regards to wild land fire prevention and home mitigation. Theresa Springer of the CUSP (Coalition for the Upper South Platte) spoke passionately of the work being done and the extreme need to educate the public of the aftermath of a fire. The extensive tours in the Waldo Canyon, Hayman and Blodgett Peak area were quite revealing. Hands-on activities with soil in a burn area with Eric Billmeyer from UCCS were surprising and peaked my interest in hydrophobic soil attributes. Soft-spoken, and heartfelt was the forest walk with The Nature Place Director, Rob Jolly. His dedication to community and education came through as he shared in earnest the work completed and the work in progress to keep the guests, campers and properties of The Nature Place safe and available for years to come. A believer in the power of inquiry-based learning, I appreciated his approach as he led us on a tour of the forests and the mitigation efforts in place and the impact of those efforts. The presentation by Dr. Peter Brown, Director of the Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research, made an equally strong impact on my thinking of this entire weeks study. The strategies (coring, tree ring analysis, graphic analysis of tree-ring dating, droughts, fires, and strong growth years) used to explore forest history longitudinally, as well as historically, (‘The cross dating analysis supports replication of chronologies, time, severity, and changes of elevation: Fire is inevitable it is not a question of IF, but when’)

illustrated occurrences over time that man has most likely contributed to unknowingly and continues to try to control that which Mother Nature will dictate in the end. While I may not be able to transfer the extent of information I was exposed to during the week of the institute, it is my goal to integrate as much as I can into the content storylines in my classroom be it science, engineering, social studies or math. I look forward to inviting Amy Sylvester to my school community to speak and raise awareness, as well as my husband to share his experiences. I am not sure at this time as to the level of involvement my students can engage with CUSP, but I will endeavor to raise their awareness and hopefully their involvement in the prevention of forest fires, appreciation for forest ecosystems and global forest status.

Reflection by RB

My initial exposure to fire ecology was at an instructional session for Catamount Institute YES teachers. We were given a very quick overview of the basics, enough to be able to guide our kids through a semester of fire ecology Investigations. That training was a few hours long and in that time frame we were given very thorough procedures for carrying out the weekly classes. We learned how to guide investigations about the fire triangle, fuel types, matchstick forests, defensible space and the effects of wildfire on the animals. I spent the semester learning along side my students about this very important subject.

After spending a week reviewing many of these same materials in depth along with the discussions and expert trainers, I feel so much more able to give my YES students a quality program. I will be more confident to answer their questions and to direct them to the most productive resources to enhance their experiences. Additionally, I feel confident to design a PLT teacher training focused on fire ecology issues.

One area that I had no background information about was the hydrophobic soil piece. I am very excited to have this knowledge to include in the next semester with the students and plan to include investigations about this concept in our semester work. Additionally, I plan to include some stream table work with them to help them appreciate the work done by CUSP to mitigate flooding in the aftermath of fires. While it may not be possible to take them to the areas where we saw the work being done on the slopes and in the drainage areas, having seen these myself, I feel confident that I will be able to guide the students in understanding the methods being used by those mitigating these areas.

I would love to help develop some stream table activities to be used at future FEI trainings. I plan to use some at PLT fire ecology trainings that I will facilitate in the coming year.

The mapping activities we were taught re-exposed me to ESRI software and demonstrated how much more user friendly it has become. If I have access to computers for my students, I can envision using GIS mapping as they develop their class project for the semester.

The week spent at the 2013 FEI was most productive. I appreciate the time and effort it took to put this training together.

Reflection by CR

In regards to fire in forested areas – the overall theme is “ … not a matter of if but rather when”.  That particular theme was played over and over again and as the week progressed – this sentiment applied not only to fire but flooding in fire-scarred areas, as well.

Sunday

We rolled in to the Nature Place and were able to get settled in to our rooms and met with Shawna Crocker, PLT Coordinator and Steve Jennings – Geography Prof. at UCCS.  Steve Jennings lead us in a GPS Activity, punching in latitude and longitude coordinates in our GPS and then going out and locating those points – we ran in to a slight problem, as one of the coordinates took us in to the youth camp – but not a big deal.  Meals at the Nature Place were outstanding.  We ended the evening with introductions to staff at the Nature Place and CSFS.  Materials and schedule for the week was passed out and discussed.

Monday

Met with guest speaker, Amy Sylvester from the Colorado Springs Fire Department.  Amy presented work being done to rate the fire risk of neighborhoods in the Colorado Springs area.  It appears that it will be a valuable tool with more people building in wooded areas – this will assess the risk and educate neighborhoods on things they can do to minimize the risk.

Dr. Peter Brown introduced us to dendrochronology and forest ecology – looking at tree rings and developing a forest timeline.  I was fairly familiar with dendrochronology but enjoyed the new experience of coring a tree and then mounting that core sample.  Demonstrated the adaptations and resilience of forest trees when it comes to drought and fire.

After dinner we watched the movie, Fire Wars – a brilliant film demonstrating the evolution of fire ecology and fire thinking here in the United States.  For a number of years our thinking was we would spot a fire and put it out immediately.  We are now paying the consequences for years of fire suppression and prevention, with little or no management, with extremely devastating fires.  We are now experiencing fires that are burning so hot that they are destroying forests and everything associated with a forest for several years to follow.

Tuesday – Field Day

Traveled to Lake George area – met with Theresa Springer with the Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP).  Theresa shared one major consequences of a fire scar – flooding.  Looked at the Waldo Canyon burn area - Theresa took us up a canyon above Hwy 24 and Manitou Springs and showed the sand bagging and work that they have done to save homes in that canyon and spread out the energy of the water coming down the burn scar.  They have scenarios for varying levels of rain – there will be flooding – depending on the amount of rain and the intensity of that rain will determine the level of destruction.

Met with Eric Billmeyer – instructor in the Department of Geography at UCCS.  Eric led us on a hike into the Blodgett Open Space burn area.  We were looking specifically at the effects of fire on soil.  NEW Learning - Soil, after a wild fire, becomes somewhat water resistant also called Hydrophobic – one thought is that the organic matter in the soil burns leaving a hydrocarbon layer that fills in the pore spaces and repels water, leading to massive runoff in burn areas.  We did some soil tests on the soil in this burn area – tested hydrophobicity of the soil, soil consistency and texture.

-Traveled to Glen Eyrie – looked at the flood mitigation above the castle – two massive catch nets designed to trap debris carried by water flooding out of the canyon.  These catch nets are massive in structure but still are not enough for what they are expecting from the floods in the Colorado Springs area.  Staff at Glen Eyrie was also quick to point out the reinforcement to the lower foundation of the castle – there is an interlocking brick lining along the castle – staff expect the grass and soil to be torn up but hope to hold the foundation of the castle in tact – as one staffer said – “we can do grass” – just thought that was a funny statement – implying that they can easily replace the torn up grass – not quite as easy to replace a castle’s foundation.

Rich Homann with the CSFS met with us that evening – introduced us to COWRAP – a risk management system put out by CSFS – a huge resource for people across the state - coloradowildfirerisk.com/ - New Learning - Rich also mentioned the ICS – Instant Command System – I am still wrapping my brains around this but certainly makes sense that there is a system in place to bring in needed help as fires intensify and threaten life – jurisdiction chief remains in charge but force is brought in to help manage.  It is a national system that enforces the chain of command and command will consist of Federal, State, and Local.  I still need some clarification of this but it sounds like a system that works quite well.

Wednesday

Tree Ring Paper Plate activity – could be used in class setting to introduce tree rings, adaptations and survival.

Rob Jolly – director of the Nature Place – led us on a nature hike and discussion.  Lead to a barrel cactus patch – discussed the fragility of nature but it’s resilience, as well.  Rob mentioned that change happens from the fringes – Barrel cactus in the inner cluster are comfortable and in status quo but mutation and change most likely will happen or occur within the out-lying cactus – challenged us to think about where new thinking and change happens - often happens outside the accepted norm.  Shared an activity – took butcher paper and shook junipers and collected bugs – demonstrating that microenvironments occur all around us.  Pointed out Lichen and talked about Symbiotic relationships – where do we see these w/i us as humans?

Started looking at the FireWorks and FireBoxes that are available – worked on a match-stick activity – excellent demonstration for fire mitigation.

After dinner we watched the movie – The Green Fire – a biographical sketch of Aldo Leopold – an environmental force and author.  I need to read more about this pioneer and environmentalist.

Thursday – Field Day

Drove to Lake George and met with Mike Hessler – District Fire Management Officer – seems to have a different jurisdiction, more on a regional level.  Took us to a prescribed Burn area in the Pike National Forest not far from Eleven Mile Reservoir.  Initial reactions were – opened up area, cleaned up ladder fuels, particularly lower hanging branches, burned off built up debris under trees.  In preparation for the prescribed burn, workers cleared dead needles away from tree base.   Fire happens in forested area, removing extra fuels can prevent a fire from burning so hot that it destroys the forest is one theory of forest management.  A tree infected with “mistletoe” – a parasitic plant that infects trees – tree branches and clusters around the parasite and eventually the tree will die.  We traveled into the Springer Fire area and worked on a wildfire scavenger hunt – fascinating challenge when one slows down and looks for forest damage, adaptations, and recovery.

Met with Fire Chief and Captain “Cricket”

I am still fascinated with ICS and still question who is in charge but it appears that Jurisdiction Chief is in command – I asked about neighboring fire crews helping on fire lines – who direction do they follow?  The chief assured me it is his and made the statement– “it is good to be the King”.

Fire Line – talked about the use of proper equipment – starting with natural fiber clothing.  Looked at Pulaski axe, McLoed tool, fire rakes and shovels.  I got to run a type of fire rake with large agriculture teeth.  This experience allowed me a small peak at what it is like to scrape the earth … the exhaustion of monotonous work – the hope that it will slow down the destruction, constantly looking over your shoulder waiting for the wind to shift and redirect the all-consuming force, full-well knowing you could lose your life trying to save someone’s house or tool shed or life.

Ate lunch at Hayman burn area – massive destruction – 11 years later and the recovery is very slow – the aspens – a pioneer species in the forest – are few are far between and only around 5-6 feet tall.  We met with Tonya Sharp – with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.  She talked about the effects that wildfire has on wildlife. 

Friday

Started looking at ways to use all the information.  Began collaboration with another science teacher in my district – we are planning to build a series of lesson around adaptions and how some local species are better suited to survive “typical” forest fires. 

We received several resources and activity guides to begin putting together a rigorous unit on Adaptations and Survival.

Put together a presentation on how we are planning to use this information and presented it to the whole group.

Reflection by JM

The week long Fire Ecology Institute taught me an immense amount about not only wildfire, but wildfire in Colorado.  I gleaned concepts about WUI, fire preparedness, my homes fire danger, mitigation, recovery, succession in action, and much more.  I especially liked learning about these concepts out in the field with the professionals.  Being able to venture out into Waldo Canyon, Haymen, Stringer, and the other fires of the Colorado Springs/Manitu Springs area with our hard hats on and ready allowed me to see the concepts in action while learning what I can apply with my students learning.  I especially liked being able to conduct the water permeability lab in the field...what a great way to see the difference between the two types of soil and to then relate that to the flooding issues the many areas are experiences with rain storms.

Another thing I took away from the Institute was the many lesson plan ideas.  Especially the one my partner, Lynne Moser and I created.  I am excited to take it back to my school and my department to teach it a) to other staff members, but b) to my students. 

I am hoping to take my real life experiences from this institute to gain the interest of my staff and students, then turn around and hope to take them out into the field as well.  Great learning!

The only suggestion I can reflect upon for this institute is the overall organization of it.  Although I know there were many aspects of coordinating the field trips, speakers, and so on...it would have been wiser to do the lectures then field trips (it is hard to focus in the afternoon on a lecture after a 6-7 hour hiking morning).  I would have also grouped liked topics together on the days of their connected field trips...this would have broken the lectures up.

Thank you for a great trip!

Reflection by LM

What a great week in a wonderful place. It was nice to meet with other educators and get to know them and find out about their schools.  The food was wonderful as well as the facilities. Even more important though was the amount of knowledge and information I think we all learned during  week.

     For me the most powerful experience was probably driving and walking through the Hayman and the Waldo fires. I think this was most poignant due to the fact that before we came up there, the Black Forest fire was still going on as well as other fires throughout the state. Seeing how MUCH acerage was burned was almost unbelievable. Jessica and I drove back home through Deckers and we were able to see again how  much land was burned.  Our trip home was somewhat silent as I think we both were processing everything we had seen and learned.

     Of course we have all been keeping watch on the flooding up in Teller County. It makes it seem so much more real since we visited sites that more than likely will be washed away with the monsoon rains.  The sandbagging effort seemed overwhelming and hopefully some of those homes will be saved.

     I got some great pictures of a variety of areas and Jessica and I are planning to put together a 2 week Unit using the materials we got which will hopefully incorporate some power points using our pictures as well as some demonstrations and  labs. We hope to put together a couple of kits we can share within our science department for those teaching Earth and Environmental Science. We also hope to work with our counterparts at Rocky Heights Middle School so that we can use more of the information without it being a repeat for when the students get to Rock Canyon.

    I came away from this workshop with a better understanding of how fire can be both good and bad and it’s not just trees burning, but what happens afterwards and the devastation it can cause for years to come. I also came away with great respect for those who work on making the forests healthier through mitigation as well as those who spend their time fighting the fires when they do happen.

    

                  

Reflection by ML

            The first morning of the 2013 Fire Ecology Institute opened with a discussion led by the Assistant District Forester for the Woodland Park District, Dave Root.  “Ecosystems are no longer ‘natural’ because we have impacted them so drastically, so we MUST manage them because they can no longer manage themselves . . . WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) is expected to increase by 300% to ~2.2 million acres by 2030 . . .”  These words set the stage for the entire Institute. 

            Throughout the week, I was continuously floored by logical connections and cause-effect relationships that I had never considered.  For example, benefits of forest thinning include decreased mating success and breeding grounds for pine beetles, elimination of ladder fuels to prevent huge hot fires that plasticize the soil, and attractive foraging grounds and habitat for animals such as elk.  Furthermore, lack of moisture in Colorado means that fire is required to clear out dead trees and enhance soil nutrient cycling.  

            As a witness of the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires, I was anxious to hear about fire and flood mitigation suggested for homeowners and communities.  I was pleased to hear about the Fuels Management program enacted by the Colorado Springs Fire Department.  Amy Sylvester (CSFD) provided several useful suggestions regarding structural components of a property and its landscape. Theresa Springer (Coalition for the Upper South Platte) revealed several threats to a watershed in the aftermath of a fire.  Seeing sandbag walls around homes and “flying V” tree trunk arrangements in water drainages made me respect Mother’s Nature’s constant test of mankind’s engineering capabilities.  

            I greatly appreciated the field investigations/ activities and hikes involving dendrochronology, hydrophobic soil, local flora and fauna, and cutting a fire line.   Walking on burn scars is a very humbling experience . . . quite eerie at first until you find live beetles in burned tree bark!  Then you start to notice the islands of aspen growth springing back to life, and you realize that the hydrophobic soils you have been analyzing will eventually break apart.  Field trips brought our classroom discussions to life and emphasized the relevance & urgency of issues involving fire. 

            Every PLT activity we executed had several meaningful applications for every grade level.  The strong appeal of these activities is due to their highly visual and kinesthetic components that enable students to EXPERIENCE the concepts addressed.  Evening videos helped flesh out the history and evolution of fires and firefighting in the United States to explain how our current forests have come to be. 

            I left the Institute with a solid understanding of our roles as citizens and educators living in fire-ADAPTED communities.  I am very grateful for the expertise and inspiration that emanated from every professional that presented at the Institute.  The Institute is essential in preparing educators to reform the public’s perception of fire.  This reform starts with our most impressionable citizens . . . youth in public schools.     

Reflection by SM

I really appreciated the opportunity to attend the Fire Ecology Institute this year.  I am an eighth grade social studies teacher who also serves as a language arts teacher.  The social studies curriculum includes civics and the project based learning activity that is a highlight of civics is the mock trial.  For the last ten years this trial has focused on a DUI situation.  Over the past few years I have been interested in changing the focus to wild fires as it has become more and more applicable to the day-to-day lives of those of us living in Colorado.  I saw this Institute as an opportunity to give me both background information as well as hand-on experience that would help me make the Wild Fire Mock Trial a real learning experience for my students.  I’ll be working with both the science and social studies teachers on this project in the upcoming year and will share what I learned at the Institute with them both.

  A number of learning activities during the Institute were amazingly helpful.  Amy Sylvester gave a great description of what fire professionals do in wildfire situations; I took notes that I will share as writing prompts in my language arts class.  The movie, Fire Wars, was a very powerful learning tool for me that I will turn into a teaching and learning tool in my classroom.  The students this year will be getting applicable fire ecology lessons in both science and language arts. 

The field day experience was eye opening for me.  Actually seeing the burn areas up close, as well as examining the areas gave me the opportunity to add a real-world learning experience to what I will be covering in class.  The information on fire mitigation will be included in research work that I will have the students do.  The aspects of flooding because of wild fires are going to be a project-based activity that the science teacher and I will be developing.  The question for the students will be around ways to help these areas prior to flooding.

     Our students also are required to do a community-based service project each year and my teaching team is discussing how we can add fire mitigation to the options.  The Fire Adapted Communities and wildfire protection plans discussions will be a powerful way to introduce this community service option. 

  The take-away materials were really impressive.  I’ve got materials for my classroom, information for helping me build my mock trial, items to share with my science teacher and numerous on line and real-life resources to help me teach this topic.

Finally, I made a number of connections with other teachers that I know I will utilize in the future.  The Institute allowed me to meet and work with people from different curricular areas, different districts and individuals who are in the classroom per se, but will be great contacts in the future.  If I could attend this institute again, I would.  I plan to watch for future Project Learning Tree opportunities in the coming school years.

Reflection by ML

During the week of June 23^rd – 28^th, I had the privilege to attend this fantastic workshop at the beautiful Nature Place in Florissant, Colorado.  During the week long work shop we learned everything from GPS mapping to Fire wise communities.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Our first night, we met Steve Jennings who is with UCCS in Colorado Springs.  He instructed us on how to use the ETREX by Garmin.  After a brief period of instruction we were on our way to find our waypoints.    After a 20 minute hike across the Boy Scout camp and back we made it safely by to Bristlecone.  I knew this was going to be an interesting week with a great bunch of people.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Dave Root of the Colorado State Forest Service out of Woodland Park office gave a very informative talk about our forests and the health of them.  Fire has been around us for many, many years and will continue to be around to help the health of our wooded areas.  I really enjoyed learning about the difference between the Spruce Beetles and the Pine Beetles and the different ranges that live in and how they have impacted our state.  Amy Slyvester of the Colorado Springs Fire Department presented a power point of the Waldo Canyon Fire and the impact it had on sub-divisions.  It shows what can happen on any given fire that is close to a metropolitan area and the risks that home owners have by choosing to live where they live.  Wildfire Mitigation is a must by all who love living where they live.  Dr. Peter M. Brown of the Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research presented us with a very informative lecture on Dendrochronology.  The best part of the class was the ability to go out and core a tree and be able to read the core like a book through history. 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Theresa Springer who is the Waldo Fire Rehabilitation Coordinator talked with us about the projects that are ongoing after the Waldo Canyon Fire.  She was able to talk about the importance of a timely fire recovery plan, also the implantation of emergency plans that are in place along HWY 24 from Woodland Park to Manitou Springs.  A great amount of sand bagging is going on through contract work to help save structures, but more importantly to save lives.  After the morning session we traveled to the Blodgett burn area to see the great work that they are doing on the hillsides and gulleys of canyons to try and slow down water flow (from Hydrophobic soils that developed) to prevent any type of flash flooding that may happen, this all being done with timber that was burned.  The afternoon ended with at trip to the Glen Eyre property to see what they have done to be proactive to prevent damage from the predicted floods.  It was amazing to see how they developed two gigantic catch fences for debris that may come along with the floods.  A great design of flood control was put in place to help control and prevent major damage to the castle.  The night ended with a power point by Richard Homann of the Colorado State Forest.  He has designed a very useful tool called the “Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal.”  This portal will help the homeowners know what kind of risk that they live in by measuring current data that will provide a baseline data for fire risk.

Wednesday, June 26^th, 2013

Rob Jolly, director of the Nature Place, started the morning off with a nice nature walk along the property.  Along this walk, he talked about the diverse plants and trees that are continuing to grow after the fire mitigation that they have done on the property.  The fire mitigation that the Nature Place has done and will continue to do, represent what a healthy forest should look like.  The afternoon session was spent in the conference room learning about the Project learning tree and having a great time with the fire work trunks.  The fire work trunks have a wealth of projects that can help the students learn about fire, heat, and most importantly the forest and what lives in it.  Richard Holmann was able to step in and do a great job of talking about the Incident Command System.  He and the other Colorado State project students did a situational example of what it is like at a fire command system prior to sending out fire fighters for the day.

Thursday, June 27^th, 2013

Started the morning off with a trip to the Florissant fire department, where we met a gentleman (whose name I cannot remember) is with the State Forest Service.  He was able to take us to a prescribed burn area and see how the area has developed back after the fire.  We traveled a little farther into the mountains to look at the Springer fire.  While at the Springer area we were able to do our scavenger hunt.  We continued on to the Hayman Burn area and met up with one of the Colorado State game wardens to talk about the positives that have happened with wildlife and the surrounding vegetation.  The rest of the day we traveled to different burn areas.  It is amazing to me that through this corridor of mountains, the acres and separate fires that have happened in this region.

Friday, June 28^th, 2013

Rob Jolly was able to take us to another part of the property to see how mitigation that was done in the past and how it has responded over the years.  We then travelled up the road to a small fire that had happened only a few weeks and ago and meet up with the Chief of the Four Mile Volunteer fire department and Crickett.  We were exposed to the hand tools that the wild land fire fighter’s use.  Working together, we were able to build a fire line in no time.  The fire fighters were more than happy to discuss their Type 6 fire truck and the capabilities that it has.  We ended up the week in the conference room working on how we can develop lesson plans for future use. 

It was a great learning and working workshop that I would recommend to anyone who has interest in fire ecology.  Thanks to Shawna Crocker and her staff for all their hard work in preparing for this conference and the professional people that she invited to talk to share their knowledge and experience.  

Reflection by LL

While I felt fairly conversant with Wildland Urban Interface issues (as I live in a WUI), I feel my week at the institute expanded my education and understanding of wildfires exponentially.  I wish that everyone on my staff could have come because the firsthand experiences were powerful.  There were so many facets to each day that it makes it difficult to give the full impact second hand.  Steve Jennings and his dry humour were a great balance to Shawna and her passion for everything trees.  The Project Learning Tree units brought home to me how often one needs exposure to an idea for it to truly sink in.  This was my fourth PLT experience.  Each was great, and this time, I finally grasped how easily these themes fit into curriculum and how important it is to our school's magnet mission that we dedicate entire years to PLT .

One thing I thought about in reviewing our week, (and maybe this was influenced by some of the blogging after our "Independent" article came out online) is that our forests and watersheds are not political.  They are finite and they are a part of our lives.  Dendrochronology does not give us an opinion; it gives us facts.  Serotinous cones don't choose to open or not depending on a wildfire policy.  They know exactly which conditions engender a response.  I am hoping that teaching the facts of the forest will help my students be seekers of information, writers of information, speakers of information. 

On a more practical level, the following are brainstormed ideas that I had for our school and then, quick lesson plan ideas I thought would work for different subject areas.

-I think we should do 3 rotations for teachers to incorporate in their daily lessons: PLT, Project Wild, Project Wet

-I think we should develop service learning projects with our local Fire District to do Defensible Space Assessments of Beulah homes: the Valley, the Mobile Home Park, Siloam Rd, North Creek Rd., Squirrel Creek, Middle Creek, Watterbarrel.  NJHS could create a plan for assisting homeowners.  Using the mapping program, we could chart coordinates and label needs with layers based on greatest level of urgency.

-Tailor professional development with PLT to provide Elementary teachers with support for PLT lessons targeting their year's focus. (e.g. 3^rd, micro and macro invertebrates).

-Do Parent/Staff book study on Aldo Leopold

-GT kids use books like those we've read and discussed and have them create a webography with a particular focus/perspective/theme

-In the same way that 7^th/8^th works with the Riverwatch program to create and collect data, use tree plots for the 6^th/7^th graders and incorporate GIS for both.

Reflection by GL

Only a few day have passed since we left the Fire Ecology Institute and yet so much has happened. Between the loss of a nearly an entire hotshot crew and the flash flood that has caused major destruction of the watershed near Manitou Springs, it seems that all of the discussions we were somewhat prophetic. Without wanting to seem callous, I am not sure that these events would have had such profound impact on me just two weeks ago. After all, they did not impact me directly. Yet since participating in the Institute, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of loss and empathy for the people directly impacted by fire nor will I ever look at any landscape the same way ever again.

                  Even though wildfire has hit pretty close to home several times (i.e. Storm King Mountain and Coal Seam), I still knew very little about it. I have hiked the Strom King trail, read every memorial in Two Rivers Park and watched flames encroach upon the town of Glenwood when I was unable to drive through during the Coal Seam fire. Yet, it wasn’t too hard to go on with my daily life. Then when my mom became a widow, living in a space that seems ripe for wildfire and the drought worsened, I started to pay more attention. Nevertheless, I still knew very little about it and I did not take the time to learn more on my own.  My simple solution, until recently, was to make sure that she had fire insurance and an exit plan. I did not really think that I was at risk so I did not think that I needed these things for myself. I have now completely changed my mind and it all started at the Institute.

                  I am still in disbelief with how, much we covered and we physically saw during the six day we were together. The background knowledge through classroom speakers and GIS map work was really helpful in understanding the basics of fire and how to assess risk in our own communities, but it was the field visits and Sparky’s story of destruction and renewal that really made it all come alive. I am a very visual learner and pictures are powerful for helping me understand, but nothings was as profound as being on-site at the someone’s house who is being completely surrounded by sandbags, feeling the incredible Jurassic Park structure that will only buy people below it several minutes of escape time and testing the hydrophobicity of soil to see just how damaging fire can be on the environment for years after the blaze. Many of the messages received during that particular field day were alarmingly hopeless.

                  When we saw the effects of fire over time, I started to feel better.  This came from visiting the burn sites and seeing new growth return and hearing that certain wildlife species actually thrive after fire. In particular, learning that bighorn sheep made a comeback near the Hayman fire scar due to the growth of new riparian plans gave me a sense of optimism. I also saw how devastating events can mobilize a community to work together to mend the land. Seeing CUSP volunteers at work in various locations drove this point home

                  In the end, the messages I took away were clear: we need fire in our lives, but controlling the wy in which they burn is really important to preserving the forests (and ourselves…). It is going to take so much time, energy and resources to undo the damage we have caused by reforesting too much and building in the forests so heavily. Every time I look at a landscape (and I have seen MANY different ones since the course…) I look at the make-up of the vegetation and watershed differently… even as I drove by a new fire last week in central Oregon on an Indian reservation and then today just south of Yakima, Washington, I am taking notice in ways I never had before. How did the fires start? What kinds of impact are the having as they burn and what will be the long term damage after the fires are out? The Fire Ecology course made me quite aware and I promise to share what I have learned with my students and anyone who wants to or needs to hear.

Reflection by KK

Overall I thought the Institute went well. I learned so much information and saw so many things that I was overwhelmed. I guess the only thing I would recommend for the future would be to give us time to process. Not just free time, but time after a lesson to talk about what we saw and how this affected us or how we might use it in our classrooms. Other than that, it was great!

I really enjoyed the Nature Place. I felt it was a good spot and centrally located. Good food and they did a great job trying to help me with my food allergies J

 

- It was nice to have a speaker in the know that was on a field trip pointing things out.

- It was nice to get out and do an experiment on a fire scene. The only thing was just the accessibility for those not in good shape or injured.

-The tour around the Nature Place was good. We got to see what some people had been talking about. -I liked a couple of the little lessons he talked about.

-I liked the lesson on ArcGIS. It seemed to be easy to follow.

-Fire Trunks – maybe a handout that gives an overview? The brief run-through was rushed and some of the materials were mixed up so it took time to figure out what was going on. Maybe have the supplies out and have people look at the overview to get a better idea of what was in each trunk.

-The two firemen that showed us the truck and how to make a fire line – excellent!!

-The lady that showed us the educational materials online was good. I wrote it all down.

-I really liked the brainstorming at the end. I would have liked more of that.

 

My brain got so full that I started to lose it at the end.  I can’t remember it as well because I was so saturated. It was all great information – I’m not sure how to make the end have the same impact as the beginning.

 It was a great Institute and I am so excited to share this information with my students!

Reflection by PC

The fire ecology institute was a great learning experience.  The nature place was a wonderful location and I learned a lot.   Fires have become a huge issue in Colorado over the past 10 years and will continue to be a problem into the future.  The more knowledge that we can gain and pass on to our students the more educated and prepared communities will be for large fire events.

I have lived in Colorado my entire life and spent summers with my grandmother up near Deckers.  We were never threatened by wildlife and it did not seem like an issue to us even though conifers surrounded the cabin.   During the institute we drove within 2 miles of the cabin and it was so different from when I was a child. As the climate begins to change and the population increases in wild land areas, fire has been brought to the front lines.  It is an immediate threat and has people on edge.   As a teacher in an area on the wild land interface it is really important that I know the correct information. 

I not only learned a lot about fires that I didn’t know but the institute also inspired me to really transfer this knowledge to my students so they can be better informed citizens. 

 I learned that the effects of the fire do not end when the fire is out.  I learned there needs to be as much money invested in the aftermath as was invested in fighting the fire itself.    I found the hydrophobic activity really interesting and it was a great way to see the connection between a hot fire and runoff. A hot fire produces hydrophobic soils, which contribute to the flooding that occurs in burn areas.    Flash flooding is a true problem after fires.  It was really interesting to meet with Teresa from the Coalition of the South Platte and have her describe what would happen with certain amounts of rain and then to see on the news the next week that her predictions were spot on.   She was highly knowledgeable and was working hard to warn people about the effects of a big rain over the Waldo burn scar. 

I really enjoyed going to the burn that occurred by 11-mile canyon.  You could actually see the root blowouts and it was great to see such a hot fire up close.  It would be great to take students into a burn area so that they could see the effects up close.

 

There is a lot I am going to take away from the institute.  I want my students to be fire wise.  We are going to access the risk that our school and community faces and purpose ideas for making are community more safe in the case of a large wildfire.   As teachers we are always trying to connect our units to our student’s everyday lives.  All students can connect to Fire Ecology.  Just by living in Colorado students are directly connected to and very interested in fire.   A unit on Colorado fires would drive itself and be incredibly engaging to students.