Micro-credential
Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management
StrongerBC future skills grant eligible
This offering is eligible for the StrongerBC future skills grant, which is open to most BC residents aged 19 years or older and covers up to $3,500 toward the cost of the offering. If you would like to use the grant for this offering, you must first apply through the StrongerBC application portal. For more information on eligibility, please click here.
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
Wildland fire management is among the most pressing contemporary socioecological problems in North America. Recent record-breaking wildland fire seasons in British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and western United States have resulted in millions of hectares burned annually with significant human and environmental costs.
Presented from both Indigenous and western perspectives, the Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management program provides a unique learning opportunity that combines knowledge of western fire science and Indigenous ways of knowing with landscape and fire ecology and social sciences to address a vital need for professional training in the increasingly complex area of wildfire management.
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OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of Course 1, learners will be able to:
- Describe the general role of fuels, topography, and weather (i.e., the ‘fire triangle’) on fire behaviour and fire effects.
- Explain fire regimes and describe how they vary throughout British Columbia.
- Identify and explain similarities and differences in Indigenous and western concepts of fire regimes.
Upon successful completion of Course 2, learners will be able to:
- Apply knowledge of landscape patterns and processes related to wildfires, including patch dynamics and the influence of stand structure on wildfire occurrence and behaviour.
- Explain how fuels and weather influence patterns of fire severity and subsequent fire effects.
- Use tools to identify historical landscape reference conditions and explain the importance of Indigenous knowledge for managing contemporary fire regimes.
Upon successful completion of Course 3, learners will be able to:
- Describe Indigenous and western societal relationships with wildfire and smoke, how these relationships have changed over time, and the different challenges rural, Indigenous, and urban communities face to co-exist with wildfire.
- Discuss the various policies and laws that influence wildland fire management and Indigenous cultural burning practices.
- Analyze and explain how concepts of power, trust, and relationships influence wildfire management.
- Professionals with a university degree or college diploma in a related discipline
- Practicing environmental and resource professionals: agrologists, biologists, fire ecologists, firefighters, fire and forest technicians, foresters, landscape and forest managers, and urban or landscape planners
- Land managers employed in forestry, agriculture, land development, and wildfire resiliency
- Different levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal, and Indigenous)
- Conservation organizations and agencies
- Individuals seeking employment in an environmental field
- Post-secondary students seeking to gain practical experience
Prerequisites:
- This non-credit learning opportunity has no prerequisites
- This learning opportunity is designed for adult learners; participants must be 18 years or older
- Topics will be presented with no expectation of prior knowledge
- The language of instruction is English
FWFEM 1 – Introduction to Wildland Fire Ecology
Dates:
Sep 09, 2025 to Oct 07, 2025 (First intake)
Jan 07, 2026 to Feb 18, 2026 (Second intake)
Time Commitment:
30 hours
FWFEM 2 – Wildland Fire and Landscapes
Dates:
Oct 14, 2025 to Nov 11, 2025 (First intake)
Feb 25, 2026 to Apr 08, 2026 (Second intake)
Time Commitment:
30 hours
FWFEM 3 – Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management
Dates:
Nov 18, 2025 to Dec 16, 2025 (First intake)
Apr 15, 2026 to May 31, 2026 (Second intake)
Time Commitment:
30 hours
Delivery Mode:
Online, Asynchronous
Structure:
The Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management micro-credential program consists of three online courses. Each course includes 15 hours of instruction and 5-hours of learning activities.
Technology Requirements:
- Access to a computer with a recent operating system, web browser and updated version of Zoom
- High-speed internet connection
- Microphone, webcam, and headphones or speaker
Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais
Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographic Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, where he leads the Earth Observation & Spatial Ecology Lab. He serves as the chair of the Geospatial Information Sciences program and teaches courses in Geographic Information Science.
Dr. Bourbonnais is also a co-director of the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence and member of the Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, as well as the Center for Environmental Assessment Research.
He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Victoria, with research focusing on fire science, statistical modeling, GIS, and remote sensing to investigate how wildlife populations and ecosystems respond to human activity and changing disturbance regimes. His work integrates satellite data and artificial intelligence to develop innovative tools for fire risk assessment and ecological resilience.
Prior to joining UBC Okanagan in 2018, Dr. Bourbonnais gained extensive operational experience as a wildland firefighter with the wildfire rappel program in Alberta and Parks Canada, and as a Conservation Officer with Parks Alberta. These experiences continue to shape his research and teaching.
For more information, visit Dr. Bourbonnais’s Google Scholar profile.
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, learners are awarded a UBC Okanagan Letter of Proficiency (a non-credit credential).
The credential is provided in paper format. Learners will also receive a verifiable digital badge (which has descriptive metadata about the learning achievement) for sharing through digital channels.