Written by CAP Instructor & Curriculum Manager Chelsea Tossing
If you live anywhere in the drought-stricken west, wildfire has almost definitely been on your mind these past few years. With three out of the four of Colorado’s largest wildfires ravaging the state in 2020 and both the Marshall fire and the NCAR fire impacting our Boulder Valley communities in 2022, that’s certainly been the case for students in New Vista’s Q4 CAP class.
Sparked by our fire mitigation service project out at Sylvan Dale Ranch, students jumped on the chance to take action for their end-of-the-year project. After narrowing down our topic, students began by surveying their community to get feedback about what would be most beneficial to their peers and families– they then used their strengths and passions to design a multi-pronged approach to education and action!
One group of students created a video about the impact of historical policy on wildfire conditions today and performed a skit about the importance of having a family evacuation plan. Another team designed posters and a social media campaign to spread the word about wildfire preparedness and what you can do to stay safe.
Our last crew researched fire-related policies at the local and federal level and put together a letter writing campaign in support of the Western Wildfire Support Act, a bill allocating funding to increase funding for firefighting and mitigate the impacts of wildfire. Tabling during breaks, they received over 80 signatures!
Looking for ways to take action? There’s a lot you can do– check out these tips from our students!
- Check out our students’ letter about Bill S.2404, and write your own email to legislators today!
- Make sure you and your family have a plan to evacuate your home in case of emergency
- Sign up for alerts from the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management
- Prepare your emergency essentials with this Wildfire Preparation Checklist
