Call for Special Sessions

Proposals will be reveiwed on a rolling basis; all submissions due no later than 9/1.

We invite you to submit a proposal to organize a 1 hour or 1.5 hour session on the key themes and topics listed below. Special sessions have a flexible format, and can include presentations, panels, and facilitated discussions. We encourage you to think outside the box and develop a session that maximizes generation of ideas, dialogue, and follow-up action. 

Special Session Topics

  • Beneficial fire in challenging systems (e.g., chaparral, urban, WUI)
  • Uncomfortable conversations (e.g., settler norms, systemic hierarchies, fire culture)
  • Cultural burning/Indigenous-led fire stewardship
  • Workforce development, capacity building, training
  • Fire-water interactions
  • Nerding out on beneficial fire in specific ecosystems: Under this theme, we are hoping to host a collection of special sessions led by fire practitioners who want to learn and share about the art of burning in specific habitats/ecosystems in California. We envision rich discussions on burn windows, prescriptions, cues and indicators, etc. We hope to provide staff to these sessions so we can capture notes and begin to build a field guide related to the art of burning in California. 
  • Beneficial fire in practice: operations, ignition tactics, lessons learned, emerging technologies 
  • Managed wildfire (e.g., case studies, landscape planning, social acceptability, strategies for increasing use, etc.)
  • Applied research
  • Community engagement (local, state, national, international)
  • Other (bring your creative ideas!)

Proposal Due Dates

  • Before September 1: Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the due dates stated below. 
    • Because sessions and presentation opportunities are limited, we highly recommend submitting your abstract as early as possible. After completing the proposal form, a member of our planning committee will reach out to discuss your proposal and notify you of acceptance.
  • September 1: All submissions due
  • September 15: Organizers and presenters notified of acceptance

What Is My Role as an Organizer?

Special session organizers determine the topic area, choose speakers, plan the session length and format, and develop synergy for their session. 

Once a Special Session has been accepted, the organizer is responsible for contacting potential speakers, confirming their participation, and instructing them to submit an abstract by the deadline. Special Session organizers will then review the abstracts submitted for their session, inform speakers of acceptance, and provide a final schedule to congress planners.

At the event, organizers introduce and summarize the session, serve as the session’s moderator and timekeeper, and facilitate discussion and questions.

  • The Beneficial Fire Summit is a collaboration with the Association for Fire Ecology, UC ANR Fire Network, California Fire Science Consortium, Northern California Prescribed Fire Council, Tall Timbers Research Station, and University of Nevada Extension/Living With Fire.  

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