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National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Success Story

Grand Canyon Receives Regional Fuels & Ecology Award
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Cohesive Strategy - Maintain and Restore Landscapes
2011

Jennifer and Jasper Peach receive NPS Intermountain Region fire ecology award from Superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
Jennifer and Jasper Peach receive NPS Intermountain Region fire ecology award from Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. NPS photo by Maureen Oltrogge.

On July 29, 2011, Jasper Peach, Assistant Lead Fire Effects Monitor, and Jennifer Peach, a volunteer for the Environmental Education Branch at Grand Canyon National Park, were awarded a National Park Service (NPS) Intermountain Regional Fuels & Ecology Award for developing a Grand Canyon-specific fire ecology curriculum for educators to use as part of their science curriculum. The award was presented by park superintendent, Dave Uberuaga, at an employee safety awards luncheon on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

Jasper’s contribution to fire ecology and restoration has been significant. Since 2009, Jasper has worked as the Assistant Lead Fire Effects Monitor at Grand Canyon National Park. Prior to that, Jasper spent a year as a fire effects crewmember at Grand Canyon, a season as a fire effects crewmember at Redwood National Park, and a season working for Humboldt State University on the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area vegetation map. Jasper lives and works primarily on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, and spends two to three months per year on the South Rim.

In the fall of 2009, Jasper applied for and received money from the Grand Canyon Association’s small grant program and the NPS Intermountain Region Fire and Aviation program to develop and purchase supplies for a fire ecology education program.

After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at New College of Florida, Jennifer Peach began volunteering for Grand Canyon’s Environmental Education Branch and collaborating with Jasper on the fire ecology curriculum. Jasper and Jennifer spent two months developing the original curriculum and approximately six additional months testing and refining the text and activities.

Jasper was first inspired to work on a Grand Canyon-specific fire ecology curriculum after working with the local Grand Canyon School District 7th grade class and the Grand Canyon Environmental Education Branch to integrate an international fire curriculum into the local science classes.

The program is geared toward middle and high school students and is currently being offered by Grand Canyon’s Environmental Education staff to local and visiting school groups. The program gives students a chance to conduct monitoring activities like a professional and to gain a greater understanding of the fire activities occurring in the forests around them.

The Fire Ecology on the Rim curriculum is available online at National Park Service: Grand Canyon National Park, Lesson Plans & Teacher Guides.

Contact

Edward R. Hiatt, North Zone Fire Management Officer
Email: erhiatt@fs.fed.us
Phone: (928) 643 8101

Keywords: Fire Ecology and Restoration