The 10-part series explores the wildfire crisis and our journey to coexist with fire and build resilience
DENVER – Four of the five largest wildfires in Colorado history have occurred since 2018, and the three largest in 2020 alone. Every year, Coloradans experience countless red flag warnings, fire bans and unhealthy smoke as wildfires rip across the state and the region. It’s a challenge that is not going away.
Today the Institute of Science & Policy, a project of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, released “United by Fire,” the fourth season of its award-winning podcast, Laws of Notion. The series investigates what it truly means to live with wildfire in a warming world.
Through in-depth interviews and storytelling, “United by Fire” explores the catastrophic 2020 wildfire season, when the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires challenged what we thought we knew about wildfire behavior. Fueled by climate change, drought and human choices, these fires claimed lives and property, damaged our landscapes and watersheds and pushed emergency responders to the breaking point.
Throughout the series, you’ll hear from residents and firefighters who found themselves in the path of the flames, as well as ecologists, land managers, community planners and entrepreneurs who are working to build a more wildfire-resilient future. It uncovers the role of our built environment, how fires impact forests and watersheds and how people reckon with our history of fire suppression, all while grappling with difficult choices.
Available for interview:
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Kristan Uhlenbrock, podcast host and Executive Director of the Institute for Science & Policy
“Tackling the complex topic that is wildfire allows us to examine the intersections of science, decision making, and our human nature and try to define what success looks like for our communities,” said Institute Executive Director Kristan Uhlenbrock. “We've reached a critical moment of rethinking what we know when it comes to fires in the West.”
The podcast features on-the ground reporting and exclusive interviews from more than 40 people including:
- Kimiko Barrett, Senior Wildfire Research & Policy Analyst for Headwaters Economics
- Tony Cheng, professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at Colorado State University
- Scott Conway, Chief Resilience Officer with Vibrant Planet
- Maggie Davis, R&D Scientist, Mobility and Energy Transitions Analysis Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Chiara Forrester, Forest Program Director at the Watershed Center
- Brian Kittler, Chief Resilience Officer for the Resilient Forests Program at American Forests
- Michael Morgan, Director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control within the Colorado Department of Public Safety
- Camille Stevens-Rumann, fire ecology faculty member in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at Colorado State University
- Monte Williams, former Forest Supervisor with the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland
The audio and video trailer and first episode are available now on all major podcast distributors and the podcast website, with new episodes released weekly.
For more information, visit institute.dmns.org/united-by-fire and lawsofnotion.org. And join us for a podcast launch party on Oct. 15, 2024, at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, starting at 6 p.m. Meet the guests featured in the podcast. We ask that members of the media RSVP by end of day on Oct. 14.
Listen to the series trailer on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or visit the podcast website.
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About the Institute for Science & Policy
Established in 2018, the Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science elevates evidence-informed dialogue on societally relevant issues. The Institute is non-partisan and designed to work across divides to help solve our most complex statewide, national, and global challenges such as climate change, energy, public health, and more. The Institute’s overall objective is for science to become a second-nature consideration in public discourse and policymaking by providing resources and tools to facilitate productive conversations. Learn more at institute.dmns.org.
About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading resource for formal and informal science education. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Connect with the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.