This post was written by Michael Morris, 2017 Mono Lake Intern.
Fire has been shaping Eastern Sierra landscapes for centuries. Human interactions with fire in the Western United States have greatly influenced wildfire type, severity, and its effect on forest ecosystems, creating management challenges across the region. If you are interested in learning more about wildfire and its role in shaping forest ecosystems, you’re in luck! There are still spots available in Malcolm North’s Fire Ecology of the Eastern Sierra field seminar, coming up September 9–10.
Fire Ecology of the Eastern Sierra • September 9–10 • $155 per person/$140 for members • sign up here • view full itinerary here
Malcolm North is a research scientist in the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station and also a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. Malcolm has studied Sierra Nevada forests for more than 20 years, authored or co-authored over 150 papers, and has worked extensively with forest managers to apply his research findings. He has a master’s degree from Yale University and a PhD from the University of Washington in forest ecology.
For those who are eager to learn more about fire and how we can adapt and live with this key ecological process, this is the field seminar for you. The seminar will include walking through historic burn sites at various altitudes in the Eastern Sierra, so be prepared for a weekend of light hiking and some sun exposure. Sign up here for an educational and exciting weekend of fire ecology!
