Features Overview
We’re excited to share this episode of the Connecting Communities podcast featuring members of the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council. In this conversation, local fire practitioners and land stewards, Michele Richards, Ryan Koziatek and Dave Brown from the Council discuss why prescribed fire is a vital ecological tool for Michigan’s landscapes — from oak savannas and barrens to grasslands and pine ecosystems.
Through thoughtful dialogue, the podcast explores the history and science of fire on the landscape, the careful planning and safety measures that go into prescribed burns, and how these burns help restore habitat, bolster biodiversity, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Listeners will also hear about public perceptions of fire, the work of the Council in outreach and education, and how landowners and community members can get involved or learn more about fire management.
Whether you’re new to the concept of prescribed fire or already engaged in land stewardship, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what it takes — and why it matters — to bring fire back as a “medicine” for Michigan’s fire-adapted ecosystems.
This episode was produced by Public Media Network as part of the Connecting Communities series.
We’re excited to share this episode of the Connecting Communities series featuring fire ecologists Mary Parr, Jesse Lincoln and Mitch Lettow in conversation about the ecological and cultural role of fire. In this thoughtful discussion, they explore how fire has shaped Michigan’s landscapes for thousands of years — from oak savannas and prairies to forest and pine ecosystems — and why it remains an essential process today.
Through engaging dialogue, the episode examines both the science and the story of fire: how Indigenous stewardship used intentional burning to care for the land, how fire suppression altered ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, and how prescribed fire is now being used to restore biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience, and reconnect communities with the landscapes they call home.
Listeners will gain insight into the historical and cultural dimensions of fire, the ecological benefits of reintroducing good fire to the land, and the importance of collaboration among land managers, researchers, and communities in bringing fire back as a tool for restoration.
Whether you’re new to the concept of prescribed fire or deeply involved in land stewardship, this episode offers a meaningful look at why fire matters — ecologically, culturally, and collectively — for Michigan’s fire-adapted landscapes.
This episode was produced by Public Media Network as part of the Connecting Communities series.
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