Join us at the beach or online for a week of learning the latest in fire ecology and management, meeting with colleagues, and making new connections!
The Association for Fire Ecology is excited to host this event with Tall Timbers at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, November 30 to December 4, 2021. The Fire Congress will offer an exciting blend of in-person and virtual learning opportunities for fire managers, natural resource professionals, policy and administrative leaders, and the academic and research community. It is shaping up to be a groundbreaking and meaningful event that we hope you will join either in person or virtually!
Congress Theme
Life with Fire:
Prescriptions for Resilience
More prescribed fire, cultural burning, and beneficial wildfires are urgently needed to manage the escalating magnitude of wildfire impacts on society and to achieve conservation goals in landscapes around the world. The 2021 Fire Congress will bring the wildland fire community together to discuss strategies to sustain native wildlife and biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and resilience, mitigate climate change impacts, and reduce undesirable impacts on human and natural communities. Participants are encouraged to share and explore proactive solutions that connect research to desired fire management outcomes. While we encourage proposals related to the congress theme, we also accept proposals on a variety of wildland topics.
COVID Adaptations
In-person and Virtual Participation
Due to the pandemic, we are embracing a new and flexible Fire Congress program. Our schedule will be modified to allow both in-person and virtual participation and to engage all participants whether at home, in the office, or at the beach in Sandestin. Presentations will be streamed and recorded so they can be viewed later, and participants will have multiple opportunities for discussion, questions, and networking. This hybrid format will help address COVID-19 concerns and offer benefits such as increasing international participation and helping to reduce the event’s carbon footprint. For those traveling to Sandestin, we are working with the venue to ensure CDC safety protocols are followed, and we will provide each participant with guidelines to protect our speakers, registrants, and the local community. Read more on the COVID FAQ Page.
Congress Sessions and Activities
Multiple Options for Learning and Sharing Fire Science
- Oral and Poster Presentations: Feature the latest in research results, applications, case studies, and lessons learned
- Special Sessions: Bring together a set of speakers focused on one topic or issue, and create opportunities for interdisciplinary learning
- Fire Circles: Encourage discussion and group learning on fire ecology and management topics
- Plenary Presentations: Engage and motivate attendees by offering new perspectives, integrating multiple topics, and providing critical analysis and syntheses
- Workshops: Provide in-person or virtual opportunities for building and applying new skills
- Field Trips: Demonstrate how the concepts discussed at the Congress are being applied in the Southeast
- Attached Meetings: Allow groups to take advantage of being together to schedule in-person work sessions and meetings