Mental health, wellbeing, and communities of care in wildfire research
Canada Wildfire Webinar
April 24, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET
Featuring: Dr. Francisca Santana, Assistant Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington; and Dr. Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, University of British Columbia
Description: With the growing frequency and intensity of ‘megafires’ worldwide, wildfire researchers are increasingly called on to document and better understand the impacts of these and other climate-related hazards on communities and ecosystems. However, there is limited awareness or action regarding the psychological risks and mental health impacts associated with this work, and how these can be compounded by feelings of climate anxiety and ecological grief.
In this webinar, we aim to bring together wildfire researchers and practitioners to discuss how we, as people bearing witness to often devastating impacts of wildfire and climate change, can support one another and ourselves to sustain our mental health, wellbeing, and capacity to conduct collaborative and trauma-informed research. Through sharing resources, personal reflections, and practical tools, we aim to support individuals and institutions in better identifying and managing these risks, fostering support systems for graduate and early-career researchers and practitioners, and cultivating communities of care.
