Prescribed Burn Associations: Landowners effectively applying fire to the land

Join John Weir, Senior Extension Specialist in the Natural Resource Ecology and Management Department at Oklahoma State University, for an engaging discussion on prescribed burn associations (PBAs) in the Great Plains.

Drawing on his extensive experience in prescribed fire training and PBA development, John will share examples from across the Great Plains that demonstrate how PBAs reduce barriers to burning, build local capacity, and make prescribed fire a practical and effective land management tool.

John's bio:

John Weir is a senior extension specialist in the Natural Resource Ecology and Management Department at Oklahoma State University. He has teaching, research, and extension responsibilities. John teaches two prescribed fire courses and conducts fire ecology research across the Great Plains, focusing primarily on burning timing, fire effects, and patch-burn grazing. His extension responsibilities relate to prescribed fire training and prescribed burn associations. He teaches national and state NRCS prescribed fire courses, trains the US Army Corps of Engineers, and conducts numerous training programs for private landowners. His main passion is working with and forming prescribed burn associations. He has assisted in the formation of over 70 PBAs in OK, TX, CO, KS, NE, CA, NC, FL, SD, and MS. In the past 35 years, John has conducted over 1,500 prescribed burns in ten states and Canada.

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Embers of Insight is a webinar series jointly hosted by the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange in Canada and Great Plains Fire Science Exchange in the United States. This series is dedicated to delivering high-quality fire science education to fire practitioners around the world.

We'd like to thank the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative for funding this webinar, and other CPPFE initiatives.

Understanding grassland ecology through stewardship: A field season experience with Meewasin on the CPPFE programme 

Join us for an exciting and informative webinar, hosted by Aisha Adelah of Meewasin and the CPPFE! 

Aisha will be discussing Grassland Ecology through stewardship.

This past summer, Aisha worked with Meewasin on the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange (CPPFE) programme on grassland monitoring across selected sites in the Saskatchewan River Valley. Aisha took part in collecting vegetation and soil samples to build a database, and also observed how grasslands recover after disturbances over time. 

Through her fieldwork with the CPPFE, she saw how tools like prescribed fire, grazing, and long-term monitoring are thoughtfully combined to manage disturbances like invasive species and support healthy prairie ecosystems. 

This hands-on experience highlighted the vital role Meewasin plays as a steward of the River Valley in sustaining the beautiful urban landscape of Saskatoon and ensuring it remains resilient, diverse, and supports a thriving community.

A Tale of Two Fires

Join Pheasants Forever wildlife biologist Ben Wheeler for an exciting webinar on fire programs in the Great Plains.

Different fires in the same place can look, feel and behave differently. They can both be successful in different ways, ecologically and culturally. They can be received differently by practitioners and the larger community alike, and they can persist differently, giving hope to land productivity, conservation initiatives, and cultural practices. Ben will compare fire programs in the Great Plains, and share insights on how Nebraska PBAs build capacity, community support, and sustainability over the years.

Ben's bio:

As a private land wildlife biologist, Ben works closely with landowners, farmers, ranchers, and other community members to promote, coordinate, and deliver meaningful and healthy prescribed fire programs throughout central Nebraska grasslands. In addition to assisting with several area Prescribed Burn Associations, Ben co-founded and has coordinated the Loup TREX program since 2009. Ben is passionate about helping areas achieve their fire goals by engaging and empowering people to become an active part of their community’s fire story. He has shared his experience in Nebraska with several other areas around the U.S. that are looking to also develop successful and sustainable private land fire programs.

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Embers of Insight is a webinar series jointly hosted by the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange in Canada and Great Plains Fire Science Exchange in the United States. This series is dedicated to delivering high-quality fire science education to fire practitioners around the world.

We'd like to thank the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative for funding this webinar, and other CPPFE initiatives.

The CPPFE is thrilled to announce our 2nd annual Prairie Fire Summit on March 18, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba - Canada’s “Gateway of the West”.

What: 2026 Prairie Fire Summit

When: March 18, 2026 from 10am-4pm (registration opens at 9am), followed by a 2-hour social — social location TBA

Where:  FortWhyte Alive Buffalo Crossing Building, 2505 McGillivray Blvd, Winnipeg, MB 

Cost: $50 CAD plus tax (includes admission, lunch and refreshments) 

Inclusions:

• Full-day access to the summit, including all presentations and a panel discussion

• Lunch and refreshments

• Networking opportunities with fire practitioners from across the Prairies

Exclusions:

• Accommodation and transportation costs

• Meals and drinks at the post-event social

Refund Policy:

Before March 1: 100% refund

Between March 1-March 9: 50% refund

After March 9: Non-refundable

Registration closes EOD March 9, 2026.

Please reach out directly at cppfe@meewasin.com if you have specific requests.

Register, and find more information, at CPPFE Prairie Fire Summit Tickets, Wed, Mar 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite.

This year’s summit will be held in Manitoba, a province where agencies and landowners are actively putting fire on the ground and where Canada’s first prescribed burn association was formed.

We’re pleased to be hosting our summit at the brand-new FortWhyte Alive Buffalo Crossing building - Manitoba’s most sustainable and energy-efficient building. Read more about our hosting venue here. 

The summit will bring together prescribed fire practitioners from across the Prairies, including landowners, ranchers, researchers, students, Indigenous groups, conservation organizations, and more. Together, we’ll explore how prescribed fire is used today and how we can continue to expand fire programs throughout the region.

Our keynote speaker is the brilliant Sam Fuhlendorf - professor in natural resource management and ecology at Oklahoma State University. His expertise lies in conserving grasslands with fire ecology and wildlife conservation, and he will be presenting on the pyric-herbivory and patch-burn grazing. We’re so honoured to welcome him into Canada to attend this summit. Read Sam’s bio here.

The day will feature presentations and a panel discussion on a range of prescribed fire-related topics - including special guest Jonathan Eerkes, national fire program manager for Pheasants Forever. Further speakers and presentation topics will be announced soon!

Confirmed speakers:

• Sam Fuhlendorf - Oklahoma State University

• Jonathan Eerkes - Phaesents Forever

• Laura Reeves & Dan Rapinda - Stuartburn Prescribed Burn Association

• Eric Lamb - University of Saskatchewan

• John Morgan - Prairie Habitats

• Ken Morrice - Association of Manitoba Community Pastures

We are proud to be hosting this event with in-kind support from the following partners: 

• Association of Manitoba Community Pastures

• Nature Conservancy of Canada - Manitoba

• Manitoba Habitat Conservancy 

• Meewasin Valley Authority

• Skinner Native Seeds

• Stuartburn Prescribed Burn Association

We are also very grateful to be receiving financial support for this event from the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Inititative.

Please reach out to us at cppfe@meewasin.com if you have any questions.