COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common interest, profession, or area of expertise and who come together—formally or informally—to share knowledge, solve problems, and develop both personally and professionally.
Key Features of a Community of Practice:
Shared domain of interest: Members are bound together by a shared expertise or passion.
Community: There’s a sense of joint activity and collaboration; relationships are built through regular interaction.
Practice: Members share experiences, tools, stories, and best practices to improve their collective performance.
FACO supports several CoPs to support Network Participants with:
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- Knowledge Sharing and Learning
- Skills Development
- Networking and Collaboration
- Innovation and Problem Solving
- Professional Identity and Recognition
- Providing a Support System
Communities of Practice (CoPs) in Colorado
A Colorado Neighborhood Ambassador Approach CoP launched in 2023. This group shares knowledge, resources, progress, and provides peer assistance. In addition, it’s designed to promote expansion of these volunteer efforts throughout the state by working to meet the needs of local coordinators. Learn more here.
A National Neighborhood Ambassador Approach CoP, (with over 100 members who are working to implement a FAC Neighborhood Ambassador in their areas), also meets quarterly on the first Tuesday of the month.
Contact – Lara Thomas FACO | Frequency – Meets quarterly – generally the first Tuesday of Feb., May, Aug., and Nov.
Knowledge sharing, resources, and peer assistance related to starting and running a fire department-based wildland program. Eagle Valley Wildland, West Metro, Vail Fire, others.
Contact – Lara Thomas, FACO | Frequency – Quarterly
The Wildfire Research Center’s Community of Practice is a co-learning and sharing opportunity that brings together past, current, and future WiRē partners. Our meetings are a space for WiRē partners across the country to share technical information and personal perspectives on wildfire mitigation and preparedness, particularly as related to WiRē projects. These discussions range from data presentations to personal reflections on events but always provide an opportunity for us all to learn from one another.
Recognizing the increased economic viability of forest treatments and the relationship to wood product utilization as key components of scaling up forest restoration and reducing negative impacts of wildfire, the Wood Utilization Community of Practice (WUCOP) works to
– Create enabling conditions for forest product utilization from harvest to market, which will result in more cost-effective forest treatments, and more forest treatment opportunities overall, and include:
- optimization of treatment efficiency;
- utilization of all forest treatment tools;
- coordinated development of local, regional national, and international wood markets;
- coordinated development of harvest and processing capabilities;
- and policy recommendations.
– Improve public and decision makers’ understanding of forest treatment benefits vs. costs by:
- advancing systems of valuing watersheds and other ecosystem and public safety services;
- improving cost tracking;
- cost-Avoidance research;
- and tangible benefits’ messaging.
– Learn from and support each other through economic development of forest resilience projects.
Contact – Rebecca Samulski, FACO | Frequency – 4th Thursday, every other month
Branching Out provides a space for meaningful, relevant discussion amongst Forest Collaboratives Network participants. Each session will feature bite-sized stories of successes and failures from forest collaborative coordinators and partners, leaving you with the most relevant details and key takeaways, then offering ample time for small group networking, storytelling, and idea-workshopping.
Contact – Katie McGrath Forest Collaboratives Network | Frequency – Monthly
We foster a proactive approach to wildfire management through regular meetings, discussions, and coordinated efforts. By working together, we aim to develop innovative solutions and improve our collective response to wildfire threats.
Membership in the Colorado Utility Wildfire Consortium is exclusively open to cooperative, public power and investor-owned utilities.
This Community of Practice focuses on topics relevant to non-profit collaborative executive directors (fundraising, organizational administration, stakeholder engagement, more).
Contact – Reach out to Lara Thomas for more information or to enroll| Frequency – Varies.
Communities of Practice (CoPs)
Fire Adapted Colorado supports several communities of practice, including:
- Neighborhood Ambassador Approach (NAA) CoP
- Wildland Fire Leaders Group
- WiRē CoP
- Wood Utilization CoP
- CFCN Network: Branching Out
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Colorado Utility Wildfire Consortium
