Planning: FIRE-PLAN: Wildland Fire + Cultural Burning (WFCB)

This Planning Project to Catalyze Innovative and Inclusive Wildland Fire Science through Diverse Collaborations will result in a plan for future, immersive experiences that will advance science center and museum visitors' understanding of the interrelationship between human activity, wildland fire, and climate change, focusing on Indigenous Ways of Knowing, cultural burning, and wildland resilience to climate change. Over the course of one year, an Organizing Committee, including a geographic diversity of Indigenous voices and practices, will co-develop an action plan in support of a future submission to NSF's Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program for an interactive, bilingual (Spanish/English) traveling exhibition and associated programs honoring Indigenous Ways of Knowing and sharing how cultural burning practices support wildland resilience to climate change. The Organizing Committee will implement inclusion and accessibility strategies throughout the project, specifically convening in a variety of formats; they will be led by a Native facilitator and guided by a Native evaluator to allow for deep engagement that is culturally responsive, builds trust among partners, and brings diverse perspectives to the table. Learnings and reflections from the Wildland Fire + Cultural Burning (WFCB) collaboration process will further inform future collaborations seeking to use wise practices to elevate Indigenous stories within informal science learning contexts and bring Indigenous Ways of Knowing to the forefront of critical STEM subject matter such as wildland fire science. This future, immersive experience will build public understanding of wildland fire science, promote climate justice, and inspire the land stewards of tomorrow. Past collaboration with Indigenous communities, as well as current conversations with the WFCB organizing committee, have illuminated the need for thoughtful, authentic community partner engagement and relationship building among regional indigenous communities, nature organizations, museums, and cultural centers in project planning. Important components of meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities will include developing relationships, fostering and enhancing trust, practicing transparency, centering community needs and priorities, listening to learn, maintaining functional feedback loops, and expecting transformational, not transactional relationships (Cross-Hemmer, 2022). Multiple methods of communication and flexibility in timelines and processes will also be important (Roots of Wisdom Project Team, 2016). Varied modes of engagement will allow for authentic promotion of these components. Past projects have utilized listening sessions, advisory committees, Indigenous facilitation approaches, and other methods of engagement to provide flexible space for diverse perspectives and needs. Opportunities for debrief and discussion will be critical to allow for engagement of participants who may not communicate directly. Recognizing differences between various communities will also be critical, and it may be necessary to tell multiple stories. The collaboration itself will be a learning process, and it will be critical that teams be open to learning and reflecting on one's own cultural assumptions (Stein & Valdez, 2016b). Collaborations respectful of diverse cultural perspectives and supportive of Indigenous leadership can contribute greatly to the revitalization and elevation of cultural burning (Adlam et al., 2021). Details for the planning project will include proposed project goals, learning goals, focus audiences, research question(s), collaboration process, draft timeline, and budget that supports Indigenous co-leadership, creation, and evaluation of a traveling exhibition and associated programs suitable for diverse audiences across North America. This planning project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which supports projects that: (a) contribute to research and practice that considers informal STEM learning's role in equity and belonging in STEM; (b) promote personal and educational success in STEM; (c) advance public engagement in scientific discovery; (d) foster interest in STEM careers; (e) create and enhance the theoretical and empirical foundations for effective informal STEM learning; (f) improve community vibrancy; and/or (g) enhance science communication and the public's engagement in and understanding of STEM and STEM processes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.