The Rise of the 'Recovering Suppressionist' | Annie Leverich

Returning guest Annie Leverich of The Fire Networks shares insights from her recent prescribed fire training in Nebraska, diving deep into the cultural shifts happening within the fire community. Explore the concept of the "recovering suppressionist," the challenge of overcoming status quo bias, and why effective communication and storytelling are the most critical tools for bringing "good fire" back to the landscape.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• W-TREX in Nebraska: Lessons from a Women's Prescribed Fire Training Exchange on the fire-dependent Niobrara Valley Preserve.

• The "Recovering Suppressionist": Understanding the mindset shift from all-out suppression to embracing beneficial fire.

• Burner Bob vs. Smokey Bear: The emergence of new characters and campaigns to promote a more nuanced view of fire.

• The "Wicked Problem" of Fire: Why changing fire culture is a complex, tangled challenge.

• Indigenous Knowledge: The importance of respecting cultural burning practices and partnering with, not extracting from, Indigenous communities.

• Finding the Burn Window: The incredible precision and observation required to safely conduct a prescribed burn.

• The Power of Storytelling: How The Fire Networks blog is building a library of diverse voices to advance the fire conversation.