Hello All,
We are excited to introduce our new weekly blog, Wildfire Wednesdays! We will miss seeing all of you at the events we had planned this spring so we’re trying something new to stay as connected as we can.
Even as the Coronavirus pandemic had made it more difficult to gather in person it has also shown how important it is to have a strong community that supports one another. A focus of ours is building Fire Adapted Communities that engage in the things you’d think of like making defensible space, but they also connect us and prepare us for any emergency. This happens by making neighborhood phone trees, signing up for emergency alerts, or simply reaching out to your neighbor and checking that they are adequately prepared for the uncertainty we are currently facing and of that of the upcoming fire season.
So, starting today we will be posting weekly blog posts on Wednesdays including things to do from home to prepare for fire, activities to pass the time, emergency preparedness tips, webinars about the upcoming fire season, and more. Please feel free to reach out to us if we can assist with anything and send resources or ideas you think others would benefit from or enjoy for the newsletter!
Best, Sam
Gabe Kohler of the Forest Stewards Guild
P.S. To pull the curtain away some, the Forest Stewards Guild, a non-profit in Santa Fe, runs the communications for two networks here in New Mexico, The Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition, and Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network. For this newsletter series we will be combining forces of these networks. Myself (Sam, sam@forestguild.org ) and my colleague Gabe Kohler (gabe@forestguild.org) are very excited about this series. Please feel free to reach out to us.
Sam Berry installing interpretive signs.
Staying Connected
The bright light in the challenges that lie ahead is that there are specific steps that we all can take to make our communities more resilient to wildfire, and most of us have the time at home right now.
Through creative and socially-responsible approaches we can share information with our friends and neighbors about the importance of wildfire preparedness and empower them to take action amidst a global pandemic.
We have compiled a list of resources to encourage and empower you to reach out to those in your community. The good news is that all actions that build community will help build your capacity to respond to or recover from wildfire or any other crisis, bonus points if you accomplish some wildfire mitigation too!
Here are some fun and effective ways for you to strengthen your community while social distancing:
1. Host a virtual happy hour or coffee meetup for you and your neighbors and schedule one or two special guests that can provide expert opinions on wildfire related topics.
Create a relaxed atmosphere by taking turns with introductions, enjoying a nice beverage, and allowing people to get comfortable with the platform. Here are some suggestions on holding a virtual conversation. Virtual meeting platforms like Zoom or freeconferencecall.com are good options for this type of event.
2. Set up a neighborhood text tree that lets you send an email via text.
Once your list is created you can rapidly share detailed emergency information in your neighborhood.
3. Set up a group chat or Facebook group with your neighbors.
Encourage them to post pictures of the Wildfire preparedness work they are doing around their houses. Share these photos on the Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network Facebook page to help encourage action through our statewide audience.