2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Episode Description:
“The solutions are creating those resilient landscapes.” —Marko Bey
“It's going to come back to you. Is going to come back to how prepared you are? —how prepared can we all be to face these events? We need to center ourselves in that Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge so that we can make good choices.” —Belinda Brown
Fire is not the enemy— it's a vital part of healthy, fire-adapted ecosystems. When applied thoughtfully, fire can restore balance, promote biodiversity, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Indigenous communities have long understood fire's role as a land management tool, but this knowledge has been lost over centuries of misguided policies.
Marko Bey and Belinda Brown are working to revive this traditional ecological wisdom through their organization, the Lomakatsi Restoration Project. As leaders in the movement to reintegrate good fire into Western land management practices, they partner with tribes, agencies, and communities to build resilience across millions of acres.
This powerful discussion unpacks the critical importance of centering indigenous knowledge, the challenges of accessing resources for tribal lands, and innovative solutions for creating fire-adapted, climate-resilient landscapes. Listen now to learn how you can support this vital work in your community.
Connect with After The Fire USA:
Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
X: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ
Highlights:
03:32 The Severity of Wildfires
07:16 Bringing Aboriginal Knowledge Back Into the Land
11:41 Forest Resiliency
14:40 Know Your Community
16:47 The Question of Federal Access
Meet the Moderator
👩🏻💼 Lisa Micheli, Executive Board Member, After the Fire USA
Dr. Micheli joined Sonoma County’s Pepperwood Foundation in October of 2009 as its inaugural Executive Director and now serves as the organization’s President and CEO. She brings more than 30 years of experience applying her technical, policy, and fundraising expertise to the design and implementation of ecological restoration, research, and education programs. She started her career at the US Environmental Protection Agency and then completed her graduate studies at UC Berkeley as a NASA Earth Systems Research Fellow in 2000. She now focuses her research on relationships between climate, watershed health, and biodiversity and has published numerous peer-reviewed studies on river restoration, climate adaptation, and community-based approaches to biodiversity conservation.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamicheli/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.micheli1
Meet the Panel:
👨🏻💼Marko Bey, Executive Director and Founder, Lomakatsi Forest Restoration Project
Executive Director and Lomakatsi’s Co-Founder, Marko oversees all aspects of the organization’s efforts, working in close coordination with the Board of Directors. Marko’s central focus is on program and organizational development, project procurement, planning, and operations. His other responsibilities include grant writing and fundraising, technical planning, and the management of cooperative agreements, stewardship agreements, and contracts.
Lomakatsi’s ten regional ecosystem restoration programs and associated workforce initiatives are a primary result of his work. Most essential has been his leadership in the orchestration and formation of collaborative partnerships — partnerships that are strengthened by a wide variety of stakeholders, including federal and state agencies, Indian tribes, organizations, private landowners, and community members.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-bey-6870781a/
👩🏻💼Belinda Brown, Tribal Partnerships Director, Lomakatsi Forest Restoration Project
Belinda serves as Lomakatsi’s Tribal Partnership Director and operates within the framework of Lomakatsi’s Tribal Partnership Program and associated initiatives. Belinda works closely with Lomakatsi’s Executive Director and staff leadership to serve tribal communities in their efforts to restore forests and watersheds on tribal trust and ancestral lands. She serves as a community liaison, engaging with tribal elders, tribal councils, cultural resource monitors, and tribal department staff. Belinda also works to establish and promote effective working relationships among the tribal community, Lomakatsi, and federal agency and non-profit partners.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belinda-brown-130b832b/
Connect with Lomakatsi Restoration Project:
Website: https://lomakatsi.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lomakatsi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lomakatsi_restoration_project/