Earth Talks - FireSmarting the Bow Valley with Cliff White

Cliff White presents Firesmart in the Bow Valley: How do we ensure that our community and surrounding wildlands are firesmarted?
This Earth Talks, in partnership with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, took place on Monday October 16, 2023 in the Friends Program Room at the Canmore Public Library.
This presentation covered:
How do we “FIRESMART” our homes, our community, and surrounding parks and wildlands?
Is what we’ve already done good enough - or do we need to do more?
What lessons can First Nations teach us when it comes to Firesmarting?
Can we combine Firesmarting with habitat enhancement? If so, what does it look like?
What’s a long-term eco-cultural biome? What’s a modern industrial anthrome?
How did wildland fires burn in biomes, and how do they burn in modern anthromes?
Could Canmore become a model “Regional Fire-Smart Community” where our individual actions and local governance allow some form of the long-evolved “eco-cultural biome” fire regime to co-exist with the modern “urban anthrome” landscape?
About the Presenter:
Cliff worked most his career as an ecologist with Parks Canada including stints as the National Fire Management Officer in Ottawa, and 2 decades as Banff’s ecosystem research manager. He also taught at the United States Interagency Advanced Fire and Ecosystem Management Course in Tucson Arizona for many years (a great escape from January Canadian weather). These days he serves on the IUCN Bison Conservation Group for North America, doing research on the long-term fluctuations in bison and caribou range across the continent. Johanne and Cliff raised their family in Canmore.
What is Earth Talks?
Earth Talks is a new program coming to the CPL, in collaboration with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, to bring you monthly environmental speakers and conversations relevant to our community.
On one Monday evening each month, we will be joined by Biosphere staff in the Friends Program Room at 7:00pm for an Earth Talk. Earth Talks will typically be held on the third Monday of the month, with a few exceptions.
Admission is free, with donations graciously accepted.
Get inspired to learn more about the world around us and what we can do to preserve it!
Cliff White explores the question: How do we ensure that our community and