In the American Northwest the climate crisis isn’t some future threat, but an everyday reality. Wildfires are burning at record intensity, and ecosystems are struggling to recover. Centered at the University of Idaho, a beautiful and unique relationship is forming between scientists, educators, and indigenous communities as we find answers to our shared struggles. The Embedding Molecular Biology in Ecosystem Research (EMBER) project is modeling transformative new approaches where science and community come together to carve a route toward resilience.

Made possible by the National Science Foundation’s Biological Integrations (BII) program, a unique partnership between the University of Idaho, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, CE, and other research institutions and has coalesced with an express goal to “empower individuals with knowledge about how forests help regulate climate and shift their attitudes about addressing climate change and wildfire.” Central to this is a broadening of participation in scientific research, moving beyond the boundaries of disciplines, educational institutions, communities, and age brackets.

The program’s Primary Investigator (PI), Dr. Tara Hudiberg, hopes that EMBER can “prepare the next generation of scientists to move fluidly through biological disciplines and tackle some of these complex issues” within climate science. This emphasis on building a more agile field of scientists is a key focus for CE’s partnership in this project, harnessing the power of local educator leadership and student voice. Teacher experts and their students will contribute localized data and curriculum to the Institute collaborative, emphasizing the perspective of frontline communities. CE is seeking partners to support foundational educator training that will cycle into annual recruitment of Ember Fellows to take leading roles in shaping K-12 and community voice in the integrated Institute year-after-year.

Facing its own adverse impacts through loss of first food habitats through climate stressors, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe is also contributing unique place-based data and recommendations to EMBER. Often the first and most heavily impacted populations by climate crises, indigenous communities and their traditional fire management practices are actively suppressed and excluded from institutes of mainstream higher education. Tribal scientists and local students will share research, data, and conclusions from their own evaluation, broadening the diversity of data and potential solutions like the Tribe’s biochar project.

While it is still early for the project, there is real possibility for generative change on the horizon. As Dr. Hudiberg states, “This group that came together [to solve these challenges] is a little bit magical.” EMBER is something quite bigger than the scope of research. It sheds traditional norms around siloing between areas of study, shifting toward a future in which science becomes a common effort. Where everyone, from seasoned veterans to high school students, contributes equally in determining our approach to the crisis at hand. In an age increasingly defined by division, EMBER’s collective impact approach moves beyond paradigms and outlines a vision of a future defined by bold climate collaboration.

Interested in collaborating on or learning more about CE’s impact through the EMBER project? Fill out the form below to gain access to updates and opportunities offered through the project:

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