DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Inspiration on the Prairie
Tah was set afire, sending flames and smoke high into the sky. The crew managed fire on the ground and was strategically placed around the perimeter to watch for any escaped flames as the fire burned inward. Amanda was positioned by a road. She noticed a minivan that had slowly driven by several times. On its last trip, the windows rolled down, and two excited young girls looked out. “I hope we’re not bothering you,” said the girls’ dad, who was driving. “We live just over the hill, and we saw the smoke.” Pointing to the youngest girl he said, “This one here wants to be a firefighter when she grows up.” The young girl raised her hand and confidently nodded her head. “That’s great,” said Amanda. “You know, if I can do it, so can you!” The girl beamed. Her dad waved and thanked Amanda for sharing this experience with his daughters. The idea was to inspire and give opportunity to women and minority staff from across the globe. And it did. But there is also a little girl in El Dorado Springs who just may have been inspired that day to lead the next generation of female firefighters.
The fire workforce has long been dominated by men, with women comprising a mere 10 percent of the national wildland fire workforce. The prescribed burn on a warm March afternoon at Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie in El Dorado Springs would be different. This Conservancy-led burn training event was specifically designed to help women and minority staff receive specialized training and further their knowledge of fire management and leadership within the fire workforce. Participants assisted the Missouri crew on burns in the Eastern and Western Ozarks. “I learned about this training from my supervisor, and it’s all about diversity and including women in the field. So, of course I was going to jump on the opportunity,” said Amanda Contreras, a former Nachusa Grasslands’ McCormick Resident Fellow from TNC in Illinois. “We could see there was a need and a desire for this type of training, and we wanted to provide the opportunity for growth for our colleagues,” said Ryan Gauger, fire and stewardship manager for The Nature Conservancy in Missouri. INSPIRING IN OUR OWN BACKYARD Like every managed burn, staffers checked the forecast, reviewed the burn plan and made sure fire and safety vehicles were ready. Then, the 25-acre restored prairie at Wah’Kon-
6 MISSOURI: ACTION AND IMPACT
THIS PAGE Amanda Contreras at Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie © Kristy Stoyer/TNC
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