Wildfires in California and much of the American West are growing larger and fiercer, and new strategies are urgently needed to protect human communities and vital forest ecosystems. One of the most promising solutions, however, isn’t actually new at all: the intentional application of fire, such as cultural burning, practiced by Indigenous communities for millennia. Journey into the remote Caples Creek watershed southwest of Lake Tahoe, where scientists and forest managers from across the state are investigating the relationship between prescribed burns and enhanced biodiversity—and how both can boost forest resilience in the future.
Need a Caples Creek recap? Check out our press release from the beginning of the project and follow #ThrivingCalifornia on our social media channels for the latest.