A US pine species thrives when burnt. Southerners are rekindling a 'fire culture' to boost its range

The Community Brigade program is a partnership with the LA County Fire Department that works to bolster community wildfire preparation and response by training volunteers on how to fight against and recover from wildfires, most recently proving to be extremely effective against the Palisades fires and during recovery efforts.

The Loess Canyons Rangeland Alliance in Nebraska is working to preserve grasslands through prescribed burns. Eighty-volunteer members have burned nearly 85,000 acres to stop the spread of cedar trees that disrupt the prairie ecosystem. These burns allow the grass to return, which has been helpful for farmers and their livestock. This work has inspired others in the state to create associations to share resources on how to restore their lands.

The number of prescribed burn associations in California is on the rise, advocating for more controlled fires that could prevent larger wildfires. There are at least 13 in the Golden State with the latest being the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association. Their mission is to help private landowners through the complex process of organizing a prescribed burn and to educate them about the effectiveness and limitations of the technique. So far, they’ve had 125 who are interested in getting involved and they received a grant of more than $300,000 from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Partnerships between nonprofits strengthen efforts to promote economic justice. Working together, several nonprofits focused on economic and restorative justice in Oakland have succeeded in opening Restore Oakland, a community and multipurpose center. The new building, which received funding from private donations and from the Akonadi foundation, provides a space nonprofits like the Ella Baker Center and the Restaurant Opportunity Centers United (ROC United).

When wildfires overtook California, communities sprang into action in order to help those that did not have a way to take shelter from the smoke. Forming groups to focus on disaster relief efforts, various community-driven programs have successfully been able to deliver thousands of masks to the homeless and vulnerable.

Prior to Hurricane Maria, it was not uncommon for Puerto Ricans to consider leaving the area to pursue careers elsewhere. Months after, however, as the wreckage from the disaster is far from remedied, the community members of Las Carolinas and neighboring towns are finding empowerment and strength by working together and sharing resources as they create Centers of Mutual Support throughout the island.

Poor neighborhoods in the United States lack quality play spaces for children, also known as play deserts. An organization is enabling communities across the nation to build their own playground.

Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), a 25-year-old nonprofit, helps assess, evaluate, and deter a community's ignition vulnerabilities. Volunteers remove trees, haul waste, and help facilitate economic support for migration, retrofits, and more.

The Chithari River Restoration Project (CRRP) is reviving local aquaculture, biodiversity, and wildlife in Kerala, India. Supported by local community organizing and resources from government-backed Agro Service Centers, the project established a biodiversity management committee responsible for removing invasive species and reinforcing riverbeds with native plants and fertilizers. In its first year, 70% of the planted vegetation has taken root, earning praise from state government facilitators. Kerala is the first state in India to establish biodiversity committees across all 1,200 of its local bodies.

The Power of Mama is an all-female firefighting unit that protects the health and livelihoods of the local community and environment by working with village authorities to educate local farmers on safe practices to prevent wildfires and preserve the ecosystem. The unit formed in 2022 with just 44 volunteers, but has since grown to 92 members aged 19 to 60 across six villages.