In this episode, host Carry Kim engages with Maya Khosla, a wildlife biologist, writer, poet, and filmmaker, to discuss the intricate relationship between fire and forest ecosystems. Together, they explore the regeneration of giant sequoias after wildfires and the importance of embracing fire as a catalyst for biodiversity rather than a destructive force. Maya shares her experiences documenting post-fire environments and the vital role they play in supporting wildlife. This episode invites listeners to rethink their perceptions of fire and its impact on nature, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of our interdependence with the environment.


What are the potentials for responding to and relating with fire in a balanced and beneficial versus fearful and apprehensive way? Because fire is feared by many and much misunderstood, post-fire or snag forests are often clear-cut or heavily logged, and then turned into biomass or wood pellets burned for electricity. Living trees that are recovering post-fire can also be cut; trees are sometimes wrongly cut in anticipation of fire. Snag forests are a precious habitat, supporting the intricacies of restoration and biodiversity in the wake of fire; assisting in the thriving of many species, from fungi to black-backed woodpeckers, owls, weasels, bobcats, bears and countless more.

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 


RESOURCES
Three "Minute notes" about Chad Hanson's work:
Taxpayer dollars: https://vimeo.com/806625688 - taxpayer dollars
Woodpeckers, homemakers: https://vimeo.com/806627213 - woodpeckers, homemakers
Regeneration: https://vimeo.com/806623485 


Maya Khosla [https://www.mayakhosla.com/], a biologist and writer with training as a toxicologist, has spent thousands of hours hiking, backpacking, and documenting forests. Working in collaboration with other scientists, she recently investigated the astonishing post-fire regeneration of giant sequoias in Nelder Grove and Redwood Mountain Grove. As Sonoma County Poet Laureate (2018-2020), she brought Sonoma’s communities together to heal through gatherings, field walks, and shared writing after the wildfires. Her awards include the 2023 Fund for Wild Nature Grassroots Activist Award, the 2020 Environmentalist of the Year Award (Sonoma County Conservation Council, SCCC), and the 2020 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. After surveying forests of the Sierra Nevada, she created a short documentary film, Searching for the Gold Spot [https://www.mayakhosla.com/searching-for-the-gold-spot], about wild places that experience rejuvenation and supporting high biodiversity after wildfire – where they are not logged. Her work has been featured in For the Wild, and in the film Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire.


Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.


Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
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Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt
Hosted by Carry Kim 
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 251
Photo credit: Maya Khosla

The Wild After Wildfire: Evolving our Response to Fire with Maya Khosla

EcoJustice Radio presents environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame, featuring voices not necessarily heard on mainstream media.

Our purpose is to amplify community voices, broaden the reach of grassroots-based movements, and inspire action. We investigate solutions for social, environmental, and climate issues with an eye to advance human health, steward wild landscapes, and solve the climate crisis across the USA and the world.

Featured weekly on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston, and found on all major podcast apps. We are nationally syndicated through the Pacifica Network and PRX and heard on public radio stations across the US and downloaded in over 25 countries.

Co-hosts Jack Eidt, Carry Kim, and Jessica Aldridge present a broad range of perspectives: land defenders and water protectors; Indigenous leaders, front/fenceline community spokespeople; youth organizers; ecosystem and land stewards; regenerative farmers and permaculture specialists; spiritual and faith leaders; environmental health advocates and practitioners; documentary filmmakers; climate scientists; and political decision makers.

EcoJustice Radio [http://EcoJusticeRadio.org] is produced by SoCal350.org since 2017. 

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