Nature Hour: The Bright Side of Fire

Fire has been part of this region’s ecosystems for at least the last 10,000 years and has been an important natural disturbance. Excluding this ecological disturbance is a recent development and has resulted in the elimination of some ecosystems that were fire dependent along with shifts in the species composition of many of our other ecosystems. Controlled or prescribed fire is a management tool we can use to help restore ecosystems. This presentation will discuss the historical prevalence of fire in southeastern/south central Pennsylvania, the methods we use to put fire on the ground currently, and the tools we use to help contain prescribed fire. It will include wildland firefighting equipment show and tell.

Recommended for ages 8+. Thank you for registering HERE.

ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

Keith Williams is the Vice President for Engagement and Education for Lancaster Conservancy. Keith is an environmental educator, naturalist, writer, and photographer. He has a BS in Environmental Biology from Kutztown University and MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from the Lesley University Audubon Expedition Institute. Keith was the founding Director of Education and is the past Executive Director of the NorthBay Education Foundation, one of the largest outdoor education programs in the US. He has served on the National Social Emotional Learning in Environmental Education Working Group, was appointed to the Maryland Governors Environmental Literacy Committee, and served on the Board of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education for 12 years.

Eric Roper joined the Lancaster Conservancy as the staff forester in 2019. Prior to joining the Conservancy, Eric worked in both the public and private forestry sector working across the entire United States. Eric is a 2010 graduate of the University of Montana College of Forestry and Conservation with a BS in Natural Resource Management and a BS in Forestry.

ABOUT NATURE HOUR

Nature Hour is a lecture series presented by Lancaster Conservancy, taking place on Wednesdays throughout the winter. Initially a virtual series, this year we are adding in-person events to the lineup. The one-hour lectures, that include a Q&A with the expert presenter, cover a wide range of conservation, environmental, and nature-related topics impacting our community, region, and world to an audience of all ages of learners.

To find out about other events in the series, visit this link.

To see recordings of past Nature Hour lectures, please visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel.