FireSmart & Wildfire Assessment: Working Together Towards a Sustainable Future

 

We are passionate about caring for the land, water and forests and maintaining the buildings so they continue to support our guests, residents and teachings. Here is one of the steps we are taking.

Like most of Western Canada, Yasodhara Ashram is in an area that can be affected by wildfires. We have been proactive for years with a skilled forester coming in biannually to fall sick or dead trees and to keep clear the appropriate distance between trees and buildings. Karma yogis help clear underbrush seasonally. We have a well-trained fire hose team comprised of karma yogis and employees. The Ashram is also in the process of becoming a FireSmart Community, fulfilling the requirements that will lead to this designation.

Recently our fire prevention leader, Shakti, met with a team from a local consulting firm that studies the overall landscape and types of forest and then creates a plan to mitigate the spread of wildfires. Shakti walked with them on their initial review of Ashram land and learned that over the last one hundred years the culture of fire suppression has created forests with a high proportion of cedar and dense overhead canopies. These forests are more vulnerable to high intensity crown fires than if lower intensity fires had come through every fifty years or so. There are areas like this in the Ashram forests.

After reviewing their proposal, we agreed to go ahead with a detailed assessment, which will provide us with enough information to make decisions and help us manage the forest for health and fire safety.

 

Thank you to all our donors who have made it possible to support initiatives like this. You can still donate to our Sustainability Fund!

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