Dr. Erica Smithwick: Fire, Climate, and Forest Resilience in the East

Dr. Erica Smithwick: Fire, Climate, and Forest Resilience in the East

From The Wild Idea by Wild Idea Media

April 14, 2026 · 48 min · Episode 56

About this episode

Dr. Erica Smithwick discusses the changing fire landscape in the eastern United States and its implications for forest resilience amid climate change.

Dr. Erica Smithwick, a distinguished professor of geography at Penn State University and director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, joins us to explore the rapidly changing fire landscape in the eastern United States. For decades, fire was largely considered a western phenomenon, but shifting climate conditions and changing forest composition are transforming fire regimes across eastern ecosystems in ways that don't match historical patterns. In this conversation, we examine why eastern forests are burning in new and unexpected ways, what the Eastern Fire Network is doing to address these challenges, and how communities can work together to manage fire in an era of climate change. Dr. Smithwick brings both scientific expertise and personal conviction to the discussion, sharing her perspective as both a researcher watching these changes unfold in real time and a parent concerned about what we're leaving future generations. Learn more and find the links and resources mentioned today at our website, thewildidea.com .

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Erica Smithwick

Topics covered

  • fire ecology
  • climate change
  • forest management
  • eastern ecosystems
  • community resilience

Keywords

  • fire regimes
  • climate conditions
  • forest composition
  • eastern forests
  • community management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Penn State University, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Eastern Fire Network

Places: eastern United States

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