Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Using case studies, this course explores the historic, social and legislative context for wildland fire management in BC, and examines how policy and laws influence wildland fire management and Indigenous cultural burning practices today. It provides participants with tools and strategies for public education and outreach related to wildfire management and prescribed burning.
OFFERED BY:
OUTCOMES
- 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
Tuition: $1000
For details on refunds and enrollment deadlines, please see Policy & Resources.
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:
This course includes 15 hours of asynchronous 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.