Explore the science of fire and the future of California’s ecosystems. 

In California and around the world, wildfires have increased in intensity, frequency and scale in recent decades, reshaping ecosystems and communities alike. In this dynamic two-week program, students will explore the ecology of fire, analyze how climate change is altering natural fire regimes, and investigate the consequences for California’s ecosystems and people. Through interactive workshops, team-based projects, and field trips to some of California’s most beautiful and vulnerable wildlands, students will gain experience turning science into actionable policy.

Students will be guided by a Northeastern professor and professionals such as National Park Service fire ecologists, wildland fire fighters, and indigenous land managers. We will cover topics as varied as plant adaptations to fire, the science of climate change, fire management policy, and indigenous fire practices that have been in use for millennia. Students will think critically and creatively about solutions to the problem of living with wildfire in a rapidly changing climate, practice working in teams, managing dynamic and complex systems, and communicating their findings to an audience. This program is a great opportunity for any student interested in ecology, conservation biology, or environmental policy and management.