TNC NL Winter25-final - Flipbook - Page 9
Right and below: TREX participants learn from each
other on a prescribed 昀椀re at TNC’s Wells Barrens
Preserve © Rhiannon Johnston/Friends of Acadia
We’ve got ecosystems across the Appalachians that are dependent
on frequent 昀椀re in order to be resilient and thrive.”
Collaboration and learning also means incorporating perspectives
and experiences from new partners, says Berleman.
“A huge part of the reason…North America’s…ecosystems are 昀椀re
adapted is because Indigenous Peoples have been burning for
millennia and they continue to hold this knowledge of the
dependency of these plants and animals on 昀椀re and particular kinds
of 昀椀re. And so,” Berleman continues, “the incorporation of
Indigenous Peoples and empowerment of indigenous peoples to
re-indigenize 昀椀re on the landscape as a tool and as a relative really
is central to this work.”
“Our relationship to 昀椀re and the land is very important,” says Amelia
St. John, a member of the Houlton Band of Maliseets and the
Ancestral Knowledge Institute Coordinator for the Bomazeen Land
Trust. “It’s critical to both our connection and our relationship—and
our obligation—to taking care of this land and taking care of our
relatives and our ancestors that are all around us.”
“Humans…are a 昀椀re-dependent species,” adds Berleman,
“If we can build viable 昀椀re cultures and return
昀椀re to the lands and to communities,
then we can build a more
resilient future.”
Working as a Team
As the day wound down, the TREX crew returned to the training’s
home base—a nearby summer camp facility—and enjoyed a hearty
meal and talking around (what else?) a camp昀椀re. After a good
night’s rest, they were back at Wells Barrens Preserve for their 昀椀rst
prescribed 昀椀re as a team. Despite local drought conditions, this
collection of experts was given unique permission to move ahead
with the burn. Their training and collaborative approach ensured
that it went exactly as planned.
As Bailey told the crew at the outset of TREX, “The plan is to train,
learn and burn.” And that’s exactly what they did.
Maine Roots | Winter 2025 | 9
