
Climate change and how it will affect our natural world has emerged as the dominant issue of this decade and beyond.

Why is building climate and fire resilience important?
Globally, warming temperatures and changing weather patterns have given rise to unprecedented conditions: extreme heat, more intense storms, droughts, sea level rise, and wildfires. These conditions are generated by a warming trend just shy of 2° Fahrenheit. If we do not change course to reverse our emissions trajectory within the next ten years, the warming is projected to triple by this century's end.
As we work to understand and adapt to our climate-warmed environment, Pepperwood offers a unique laboratory for exploring adaptation strategies for our future. As the largest climate research institute in the North Bay, Pepperwood’s data serves hundreds of agencies and organizations throughout California, including CAL FIRE.

- Living with Fire - Resources for Resilience
View a collection of videos and resources on fire ecology, building resilient communities, and much more - Satellite imagery of the Kincade Fire burning in Sonoma County, California in October 2019. Kincade burned 121.5 mi² and was caused by electrical transmission lines located northeast of Geyserville
- Post-fire tools are available to assist landowners in building resiliency on their properties. Pictured: a firefighter battles the Blue Ridge Fire burning in Yorba Linda, California, U.S., October 26, 2020. REUTERS:Ringo Chiu
- Pile-burning workshop at Pepperwood, February 29, 2020. Pepperwood partnered with Audubon Canyon Ranch to conduct this training for our community on safe pile-burning practices and the benefits of biochar.
- Grasslands prescribed broadcast burn at Pepperwood, 2016. Prescribed fire is an important tool in building climate and fire resilience on a fire-adapted landscape.

How we're building climate & fire resilience
We are increasing our community's resilience to climate and fire hazards, while maintaining or enhancing the health of our watersheds and ecosystems. We use our 3,200-acre reserve to conduct and evaluate adaptive demonstration projects for prescribed fire, conservation grazing, forest thinning, native plant restoration, and post-fire remediation. Pepperwood is developing “nature-based” solutions for climate and fire resilience and providing a model for “Mediterranean-type” ecosystems world-wide.