A Step Beyond the Fire

Steve meets up with his longtime friend Rick Dolan, the current statewide Director of the Florida Forest Service.  Rick and Steve discuss leadership amidst their experiences in the challenging scenarios of wildfires, hurricanes and other types of natural disasters.  

In this episode, Cully provides some show updates, ways to contribute to the show and new directions to be expected in the upcoming Season 3.  

Check out these upcoming conservation events: 

 Savannah River Fire Festival

Putnam Land Conservancy's Rally for Conservation 

In this episode, guest host Steve Miller has the opportunity to connect with one of his good friends named Kelly Martin.  Kelly recounts some of her incredible experiences as the past Chief of Fire and Aviation for Yosemite National Park, and they cover many interesting topics including emotional intelligence, fire behavior, education, diversity and gender roles in fire.  

Guest host Steve Miller (Director of Fire and Aviation Management, USFS Eastern Region) and his colleague Rosi Mulholland get together to share stories and lessons learned that span both of their many years as fire practitioners.  

Cully meets with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Executive Director Roger Young to talk about his career as a conservation law enforcement officer, and what leadership looks like for him in his current role as the leader of a 3,000+ employee statewide agency.  

Cully joins Rylee and Ryan McKenzie at the headquarters of a local family-owned business called Quality Equipment and Parts to talk about some of the latest equipment available in the market today that can be used in conjunction with fire to help us restore native landscapes.  

Cully joins David Hogrefe, the president and founder of a company called Sandpine Alliance.  Tune in to learn more about how David has turned his work in fire into humanitarian projects in East Africa.  David explains just how much fire is a part of daily life in the rural tribes he works with.  

Cully meets with Dr. Charles "Butch" Taylor, a retired professor emeritus from Texas A&M University, who has spent over 40 years as a researcher, author, lead instructor, and advocate for prescribed fire.  Dr. Taylor talks about how he became interested in fire early in life, and some of the lessons he has learned during his distinguished career in fire.  

In this episode, Cully welcomes a gentleman named Rick Lint to the show.  Rick is the current Deputy Regional Forester for the Southern Region with the US Forest Service, where he oversees all National Forests in 14 states as well as Puerto Rico.  Rick shares some of the challenges of stewardship in a changing world, his background in fire, and some of the unique opportunities that can be found in federal employment.   

Cully meets up with an Extension Specialist for Fire Ecology named John Weir out at Oklahoma State University.  John shares his experiences as a researcher, educator, and his practical experience as a prescribed burner in the rangelands of his state. 

In this eposide, Cully meets up with a fire expert named Steve Miller who forged an incredible legacy during his time in Florida that still holds true to this day.  Steve recounts some of his early experiences building a highly successful prescribed fire program for the St. Johns River Water Management District from scratch with a horse named Jeff.  

Cully plugs in remotely for this episode with an expert prescribed burner named Rick Anderson.  Rick describes his unique perspective as a tenth generation Floridian, having learned to burn from knowledge passed down by his ancestors.  

In this first episode of Season 2, Cully sits down with a highly experienced wildland fire professional named Greg Seamon.  They discuss what his life experienes beyond the United States have been like, and share some good stories along the way.  

In this final episode of Season 1, Cully shares some of the new content in the upcoming season and he shares with you memories of his family earlier in life. 

Cully meets with Ludie Bond, a communications specialist with the Florida Forest Service.  Join them as they discuss the important skills that we all must have if and when we need to with fire in populated spaces.  

Cully meets up with Zach Prusak, a well known training specialist who has spent many years in the field as a prescribed burner, mentor, and teacher.  Zach talks about some of the exciting career options available to people even if they do not have a background in fire.  

Cully travels to Putnam County Florida to visit with Ben and Louanne Williams on their beautiful property that they manage for stewardship and educational purposes.   Cully and Ben discuss the establishment of the local Prescribed Burn Association and some of the important lessons they have learned as private landowners.  

Join Cully and his old college buddy Cynthia Balboni along the hiking trail to discuss what her life is like managing native ecosystems on a military installation.  Cynthia describes her experiences in the field working with endangered species, managing prescribed fires, wildfire suppression and the many unique challenges she faces along the way.