Building on the success of last year’s program, we are excited to once again offer the Blended Learning Excursion in 2026. This three‑day experience combines the flexibility of virtual learning with the richness of in‑person field opportunities across the Northeast and Midwest.
- Day One will feature a half day of virtual presentations.
- Day Two will be in-person field trips, hosted independently across the Northeast-Midwest by willing participants; or bonus Virtual Presentations.
- On Day Three, we will continue with a half day of virtual presentations showcasing representatives from across the 20 States Region
Workshop purpose
Provide a forum for all wildland fire management partners to share region-wide, science-based, fire ecology information oriented toward expanding and maintaining the use of prescribed fire across all landscapes, areas, and fire-dependent ecosystems. Provide an opportunity for scientists, managers, and practitioners across the 20-state region to share prescribed fire-related experiences, successes, and potential solutions to implementation challenges. Provide an opportunity for agency leaders and managers to interact with state-prescribed fire councils and other key partners.
Workshop Objectives
- Inspire practitioners, decision-makers, and outreach leaders to follow examples and explore not “whether” but “how” to restore beneficial fire to the land.
- Empower participants with an understanding of the scale of risks and planning associated with prescribed fire.
- Promote acceptance and desire to burn in the places that need it.
Registration
Registration includes access to all virtual presentations, including the recordings post event.
- The cost to attend is $75.
- Student registration is $10
- If you are unable to pay, we warmly invite you to attend at no cost. Your presence is truly valued, and we appreciate any support you are able to offer.
Field Trips
Day Two will consist of independently hosted in-person field trips, across the Northeast-Midwest region. Field trips are asked to showcase the local fire culture and highlight successful strategies for addressing challenges to building wildland fire capacity (e.g. partnerships, innovative strategies, funding, rules and regulations, staffing, etc.).
We are inviting brief proposals for these locally-hosted field trips for Wednesday, July 22, 2026. If you are interested in hosting, please provide details via this online form no later than June 15th. Please provide as much detail as possible. If you would like assistance in developing your ideas further, feel free to reach out — we are happy to help!
We will share more information about the independently hosted field trips in late-June.
Sponsorship
Consider financially sponsoring to help us offset our modest costs of speaker honorariums, virtual platform hosting costs, coordination and registration for the virtual portion. A virtual workshop for all wildland fire management partners across the 20 state NE-MW region to share region-wide, science-based, fire ecology information oriented toward expanding and maintaining the use of prescribed fire across all landscapes, jurisdictions, and fire-dependent ecosystems.
Previous Workshop History
The 2025 was a “Blended Learning Excursion.” The event will spanned three days, combining virtual learning with in-person field trip opportunities across the Northeast and Midwest.
Recordings:
The 2023 Workshops was held in Madison, WI