Here on the West Coast, it’s almost always fire season. In her new book, The Cold Canyon Fire Journals, Robin Lee Carlson charts the renewal of wildlife after wildfires through a five-year case study of the Cold Canyon nature reserve (which sees over 65,000 visitors a year) as it regenerates after the July 2015 Wragg Fire. Her blend of eco-reportage, art, and meditative prose expands on the growing chorus of traditional ecological knowledge and new scientific findings underscoring the necessity of routine fire cycles in our ecosystems—as well as the threat of too-frequent fire occasioned by climate breakdown. Carlson joins Alta Live to discuss ecology and wildfires and share examples of her deeply relevant artwork. Join us!
About the guest:
Robin Lee Carlson is a natural science writer and illustrator with degrees in evolutionary biology from UC Santa Cruz and the University of Chicago. Her artwork is grounded in observing and documenting the world around her as it unfolds. Visit her website at robinleecarlson.com and follow her on Instagram @anthropocenesketchbook.