Neighbours of Fire: A primary education experience in fire ecology to better understand and cope with wildfires

Abstract

Fire is a natural driver of the dynamics of many Mediterranean-type ecosystems. However, the increasing frequency of wildfires, the expansion of human infrastructures into rural areas, and various management practices and land-use changes are intensifying the impact of fire on ecosystems and society. Scientific education is therefore key to addressing misconceptions about fire ecology and to promoting decision-making grounded in scientific knowledge. Here, we used the model of Interactive Groups within a Learning Community to promote scientific culture about fire ecology in primary school pupils. In May 2022, a wildfire affected 167 ha of shrubland and pine plantations near the historic and cultural sites of the Alhambra and the Albayzín in Granada, Spain. As a result, a landscape used by the local population for sports, leisure, and educational activities was radically altered. In response to this socio-ecological situation, an educational intervention was made with children from the 5th and 6th grade of the Gómez Moreno Primary School between 2022 and 2023. The learning objectives focused on understanding the dynamics of post-fire natural regeneration and, based on this understanding, proposing management strategies. The sequence included: (1) identifying pupils’ initial conceptions about what happens in the field after a wildfire; (2) two field excursions (in autumn and spring), during which the pupils sampled vegetation in transects; (3) data visualisation; and (4) drawing conclusions in the context of environmental management. This Note presents the educational proposal, its theoretical foundations, and a contextualization of the issue from sociological, educational, and ecological perspectives.