Prescribed Fire Practitioner Chase Whitener was born and raised in western Washington, where he enjoyed exploring the lush coniferous ecosystems throughout the Puget Sound. After earning a bachelor’s degree in integrated human biology from Bastyr University, he set aside plans to pursue a naturopathic medical career and moved to Northern California with its striking oak woodland environments. A chance enrollment at the Santa Rosa Junior College in the Wildfire Resilience Program at Shone Farm ignited his passion for land stewardship. Being a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation and working alongside Indigenous communities in California, Chase has been passionate about the return of Tribal communities in land management decision-making and active stewardship. Through All Hands Ecology’s apprenticeship, Chase learned how to be a responsible and effective firelighter and has become especially interested in the cultural significance of fire. He continues to build on those foundational lessons, intending to serve as a resource for collaboration in Indigenous-led stewardship and exploration of the intersection between land management and human health.