Wedgetail’s Post

Wednesday tip: It's time to start thinking ahead to wildfire season 💭 Here's an action that you can take today to help reduce wildfire risk 👇 🍃 Create habitat piles on your property! What is a habitat pile? These piles are structures built of naturally fallen small branches and twigs that provide habitat for countless species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fungi, and plants. Fallen and decaying wood is an essential component of a healthy forest, providing the food, shelter, or growing conditions that forest-dependent species need. A well-placed habitat pile (e.g. away from sources of ignition) provides a shady, cool, moist refuge for wildlife while promoting decay of the wood itself. To watch a handy video tutorial on building habitat piles, visit the Northwest Natural Resource Group's YouTube video at https://lnkd.in/e_GX6X9i. #wildfireseason #wildfireprevention #firesmart #preserveandprotect #IslandsTrustConservancy

Dr. Emily Fairfax's research clarifies that healthy wetlands are essential in reducing wildfire impacts. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and partners are working with Dr. Fairfax to share this research with fire managers within the U.S. Forest Service to identify opportunities to integrate wetland conservation and restoration efforts into the agency's overarching wildfire crisis strategy #sourcewaterprotectionweek #water #wildfire

Why are the Lake Levels so LOW? Let us explain... Thousands of lakes dot the Florida landscape, adding to the state’s unique environment. Florida’s lakes add to the quality of life for the state’s residents and visitors and provide habitat critical to the survival of wildlife such as alligators, turtles, fish and birds. Most of Florida’s lakes are landlocked, receiving water directly from rainfall. Rainfall, either directly or indirectly from stormwater runoff and shallow groundwater seepage, is the single greatest factor affecting water levels in Florida’s lakes. In drier than normal years when the amount of evaporation and seepage exceeds the amount of rainfall, lake levels decline. Contact us directly at 954-382-9766 or info@allstatemanagement.com #lakes #southfloridalakes #lakelevels #lowlake #norain #floridarealestate #realestate #HOA #HOAproblems #Communityassociation

A new wildfire research center at the University of British Columbia aims to study 'zombie fires,' understand community vulnerability,... #wildfires #wildfire #forestprotection #sustainableforests #ragingfires #amplicam #firedetection

New: Increasingly fast-moving wildfires were responsible for nearly 80% of homes and other structures destroyed in conflagrations in the US over the past two decades, according to a first-of-its kind study. The growth rate of the fastest wildfires — those that burn at least 4,000 acres (1,620 hectares) in a single day — increased 249% in the western US between 2001 and 2020. During that period, some 1.8 million structures nationwide were threatened by a fast-moving fire, researchers found. In California, wildfires became 398% faster between 2001 and 2020, according to the researchers. Fire scientist Jennifer Balch, the study's lead author, said the threat these fast-moving wildfires pose to people and property means that officials should concentrate less on the size of fires and more on their speed. “I think the big upshot here is to forget megafires and focus on fast fires,” she said. “We really need to define the problem around fast-moving events rather than big fires that are burning into the wildlands.” Free link for seven days. https://lnkd.in/gqxN_JV8

Natural solutions are often the most effective and cheapest option. Nature really does know best. Flood mitigation, fire mitigation, carbon reduction, biodiversity protection, water protection, and... they are so cute... well, until they chomp your favorite tree. None of us are perfect. "Beaver habitat especially benefits agriculture when beavers live upstream. Some studies have shown that beaver dams reduce the severity of flooding by forcing the water to slow and spread out, reducing momentum and damage downstream. By the same token, dams store this water, meting it out over drier periods, meaning more instream flow to water cattle or crops in the August heat. And in wildfire recovery, beaver-engineered riverscapes provide huge benefits. ... However, beavers have a bad rap, especially among agriculturalists, for whom the rodent is notorious for damming of irrigation ditches, toppling of prized trees, and flooding of property. “I want to fully acknowledge that it’s hard sometimes to live next to them,” Fairfax said, adding that new techniques have proven coexistence with beavers a real possibility. Only in recent years has the value of beaver activity to wildlife, human communities, and agriculture become more widely recognized. In a 2021 paper, Fairfax and coauthor Chris Jordan drew on 144 studies to argue that beavers constitute a key climate solution in North America. Beaver wetlands, the authors explain, serve as carbon sinks, fire buffers, biodiversity hotspots, drought banking, flood attenuation and water filtration." https://lnkd.in/gVTfUZ9F

Arup's fire team has recently contributed to a report on Wildfire Mitigation Efforts in Colorado, which identifies a range of potential actions to make wildfire mitigation efforts more efficient and effective. You can find the links to the report in the post below. #arup #wildfireprevention

So proud to have been part of this project. Organizational assessments and reviews play a vital role in helping organizations fulfill their mandates, improve their performance, and build resilience for the future. Looking ahead, organizations must continue to adapt, collaborate, and innovate to ensure a more resilient future for all. The report can be read at: https://lnkd.in/g5XTYAxk. #organizationalchange #arup

The benefits beavers provide to fish and wildlife, ecosystems, and humans are amazingly diverse and numerous. Society is beginning to fully reimagine and rebuild a world where beavers are allowed to return and thrive within their native ranges. Check out the article below to learn about how beavers provide much needed fire resilience 🔥🐾🌊🌲 https://lnkd.in/gYWFtnrp

Over the past two decades, the western part of the United States has experienced increasingly severe wildfires, prompting a critical need for coordinated mitigation responses across the region.   In partnership with Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control, we are proud to have provided a data-driven, people-first organizational assessment that outlines the state’s present-day wildfire response strategy across key agencies. The report also provides both short-term and long-term actionable recommendations for the future that aim to improve organizational efficiency while enhancing resilience and public safety.   #WildfireMitigation #ForestManagement #Wildfires #Resilience