MICRO-CERTIFICATE
Since April 2021, a staggering 1,556 wildfires ravaged British Columbia, destroying 864,637 hectares of land. As such, wildfire management is among the most challenging and pressing issues in British Columbia today. In addition to the destruction of properties, homes, and business, the desecration of wildlife, and the displacement of British Columbians, wildfires have impacted ecosystems and natural habitats throughout the province. Fire can alter vegetation and ground conditions, leading ultimately to changes in water flow, soil erosion, or landslides.
As the prevalence and destructiveness of annual wildfires escalates across the province, this program will equip learners with practical skills and knowledge to understand and treat the effects of fire on natural ecosystems, prepare communities to respond to wildfire threats, and create ecosystem resilience. This program will prepare graduates to help mitigate the effects of both prescribed burns and wildfire damage upon the environment. A broad range of ecosystems and conditions will be studied through intensive in-class and on-site learning, partnered with practical online applications. Participants will learn about natural fires and their attributes; fires as an ecosystem process; fire management, regimes and techniques; fire and climate change; prescribed burns; First Nations fire management; and restoring burned sites.
