Motivated by undergraduate interest and the initiation of a Student Association of Fire Ecology (SAFE), two graduate assistants in the Applied Forest and Fire Ecology lab (AFFEL) at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) designed an immersive cross-country spring break course. This course aims to transcend the classroom and put students in the boots of prescribed fire practitioners, working alongside professionals in the Southeast region where prescribed fire is prolific.
Unfortunately, with the new administration’s halt to federal aid through the Office of Management and Budget, which paused all grants until mid-February, the grant that facilitated student travel and food has been frozen. Without these funds the financial burden imposed on students is threatening participation. Please help us keep the torch burning! Students from SUNY ESF represent a future generation of natural resources professionals, eager to broaden their experiential knowledge of fire, fuels and forestry.
QUICK FACTS:
- Nine day trip from Syracuse, NY to Southeast region where students will act as a burn crew, working with agency, non-profit, and private organizations. Two travel days including stops at federal and state lands to learn about their approach to fire management. Five days of being an “on call” burn crew for the Georgia/Florida area, working with the Georgia Interagency Burn Team.
- Two FFT1 crew leads: graduate students pursuing research within the Applied Forest Fire Ecology Lab, with a combined 15+ years of practical field experience in wildland fire and fuels management
- Six FFT2 crew members: undergraduate students (juniors and seniors) pursuing degrees in Sustainable Resource Management, Environmental Forest Biology or Conservation Biology.
DONATION GOAL: $5,000
- To cover cost of travel, food, and incidentals
- $100 will cover 600 miles of travel
- $45 will cover one family style crew dinner
- $30 will cover one family style crew breakfast
- $20 will cover one day’s field lunch and snacks for a crew member
- $10 will cover one travel meal for a crew member
- $5 will cover one day of field snacks for a crew member