From Beneath the Ashes is a Bill Kurtis documentary exploring
the role fire plays in the life cycle of forests and prairies. The program
begins by showing the destructive effects fire can have on life and property
in an urban area. This is contrasted to the different effects fire can have
in nature. Like the Phoenix rising from the flame, reborn forests and prairies
arise from the burnt remains of the old nutrients unlocked by the fire which
provide fertilizer for a new generation of plants.
In the video, Bill Kurtis visits Yellowstone National Park one month after
the great fires of 1988. There, he meets with John Varley. Together they
explore the vast burnt acres of the park searching for patterns and signs
of regrowth. The program also examines what The Nature Conservancy, a conservation
group, is doing to preserve the few remnants of the great prairies that
once covered the North American plains. Fire plays an important part in
prairie management. Because of their deep root systems, prairie plants survive
fire while trees, shrubs, and other non-native plants encroaching on the
prairie are destroyed.
Forests and prairies evolved with naturally-occurring fires. Now the effects
of human intervention must be explored. Do we attempt to suppress all fires?
Do we cause controlled fires? Do we let nature take its course? Or is the
answer some combination of all three? These questions are left for us to
explore.
The goals of the video and the Science Explorers guide are to:
1. illustrate the intricate complexity of nature.
2. explain how fire is an important phenomena in forest and prairie ecosystems.
3. explore how humans may either help or adversely affect the
environment by attempting to control it.
4. explore career opportunities in science-related fields.