Deforestation Through Wildfire: One Health-Based Youth Storytelling to Facilitate Education and Awareness

Abstract

Deforestation by wildfires is a complex issue with numerous impacts on the health of humans, non-human animals, and the environment including resource depletion, habitat loss, and reduced biodiversity. While previous interventions have targeted the immediate downstream effects of wildfires, few actions involve upstream One Health approaches. This paper discusses a cost-effective action rooted in youth education as a preventative strategy for accidental wildfires. A story-based pamphlet was written to engage students from Grades 1 to 6 in Kingston, Ontario. To educate youth on the causes and effects of accidental wildfires using storytelling, this story was read to 27 children prior to engagement in grade-specific discussions. This action ultimately supports knowledge dissemination to foster awareness of wildfire prevention for future generations, improving outcomes for humans, non-human animals, and the environment.