California's Sierra Nevada: Bird and Bee Research in Forest Fire Habitats (2017)

A documentary exploring what Travis and his fellow researchers were researching in a post fire area in the Sierra Nevada. Specifically they were looking at mercury bioaccumulation in birds and aquatic insects and explaining how fire can cause an influx of methyl mercury in organisms. They will also be collecting bird data via point counts and explain how this data can help restore areas destroyed by fire. Lastly, the western bumblebee, Bombus occidentalis, is a threatened pollinator species in California. They will be searching the mountain via bee plots for occidentalis and collect data for general bumblebee population and diversity both inside and outside the fire perimeter. Historically, many forests in the United States relied on forest fires to help maintain a healthy ecosystem. But due to many years of fire suppression, forest fires have been increasing in size, temperature and abundance because of a build up of underbrush, dead branches and diseased trees. These large forest fires today typically leave the landscape barren, taking decades to recover to its former state.