Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz

I am a fire ecologist, social scientist and extension specialist currently working with the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence at the University of British Columbia and the Silviculture Innovation Program at the Bulkley Valley Research Centre. My interdisciplinary research focuses on community wildfire resilience, specifically around different perspectives of, engagement with, and barriers to proactive mitigation for communities. I have been in British Columbia, Canada since 2016 and after completing my PhD in Forestry at the University of British Columbia in 2021, I have conducted collaborative wildfire research with government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and Indigenous and local communities, acted as a strategic advisor for provincial wildfire resilience initiatives, and helped advance evidence-based solutions to wildfire. My focus on extension involves connecting and exchanging knowledge through co-created events and materials. I also recently became an Affiliated Forest Professional with the BC Forest Professionals to strengthen my network and connections to forest practitioners.