Alaska Fire Education
Alaska’s landscape depends on wildfires for habitat renewal. Every summer fire is in the news and an extensive response protocol has been developed by federal, state, and local agencies. In addition, a “Firewise” program gives landowners and communities suggestions for managing their land to minimize fire damage should a future fire occur in their area. ANROE has recognized the importance of this topic and since 2011 has offered workshops and educator resources to assist in teaching about fire ecology and management.
During 2011-2016 ANROE offered a series of “Fire in a Changing Climate” 1-credit workshops across the state funded by USDA and Alaska Department of Forestry’s Western Wildfire Urban Interface Grant Program.
ANROE was awarded another Western Wildfire Urban Interface Grant in 2017-2021 to implement what we consider “the next step” in an effort to assist educators in communities with increased risk of wildfire and to encourage mitigation. As of spring of 2018, educator Mary Timm, began offering Wildfire and You in a Changing Climate professional development classes. Mary, owner of Educational Horizons, Tok, AK, has experience working as a classroom teacher for the U.S. Forest Service, and over 20 years with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as an Education Specialist. During 2020, in response to the covid pandemic, Mary developed an online course. Many of the resources she put together are identified and linked on ANROE’s website.
About Fire Education in Alaska
Alaska’s landscape depends on wildfires for habitat renewal. Every summer fire is in the news and an extensive response protocol has been developed by federal, state, and local agencies. In addition, a “Firewise” program gives landowners and communities suggestions for managing their land to minimize fire damage should a future fire occur in their area. ANROE has recognized the importance of this topic and since 2011 has offered workshops and educator resources to assist in teaching about fire ecology and management.
During 2011-2016 ANROE offered a series of “Fire in a Changing Climate” 1-credit workshops across the state funded by USDA and Alaska Department of Forestry’s Western Wildfire Urban Interface Grant Program.
ANROE was awarded another Western Wildfire Urban Interface Grant in 2017-2021 to implement what we consider “the next step” in an effort to assist educators in communities with increased risk of wildfire and to encourage mitigation. As of spring of 2018, educator Mary Timm, began offering Wildfire and You in a Changing Climate professional development classes. Mary, owner of Educational Horizons, Tok, AK, has experience working as a classroom teacher for the U.S. Forest Service, and over 20 years with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as an Education Specialist. During 2020, in response to the covid pandemic, Mary developed an online course. Many of the resources she put together are identified and linked on ANROE’s website.
e-Learning Modules Available – Teach About Fire in Alaska
Online Fire Course Syllabus
This workshop will assist teachers in understanding and creating fire ecology units for their classrooms; encourage students/parents to implement FireWise protocols in their homes and communities; provide teachers with a few “ready made” activites for classroom or online instruction.
Welcome to “Wildfire and You in a Changing Climate.”
Fires burn thousands of acres in Alaska each year. Because fires affect all Alaskans, it is important that everyone understands the role of fire in Alaska. Fires caused by lightning are a natural part of the boreal forest and tundra ecosystems. They help maintain a diversity of vegetation ages and types, providing habitat for a greater abundance and diversity of wildlife. Climate Change is altering this regime with drier forests, longer, warmer summers and deteriorating permafrost. The encroachment upon our forest areas by civilization (mores homes in the woods) require more vigilance and preparedness on the part of home and land owners.
This on-line course has been developed to help teach Alaskans about the role fire plays in Alaska’s healthy ecosystems and what we can do as individuals to protect our homes and communities. In this course we will explore Wildfire education curricula specific to Alaska, discuss available resources for background and enrichment, and get teacher’s started in developing and implementing Wildfire education in their classes. As per teachers’ requests, there are numerous “ready-to-go” activities included in this course…activities able to “stand alone” or be incorporated into a Fire Unit…that could be used either in a classroom setting or online instruction.
This self-directed course uses Project Learning Tree’s Explore Your Environment K-8 Online Course which has 5 Fire in Alaska modules embedded in the course. For access codes to the course, contact the Alaska Project Learning Tree Coordinator. Take the online course first, then continue with each lesson as directed. Each lesson refers to a Fire in Alaska module from the PLT online course.
The fire education curricula used in this course are listed and linked below. If you would like an ANROE Fire Education thumb drive with curricula, supporting presentations and videos, please email ANROE: anroeak@gmail.com
This workshop development was funded by the Alaska Division of Forestry, Department of Natural Resources pursuant to USDA Forest Service Award No. 2017-DG-11100106-810 through the Alaska Natural Resources and Outdoor Education Association (ANROE)
Main curricula used for this course: (links to websites)
Role of Fire in Alaska
FireWise Alaska
FireWorks
Project Learning Tree