The Geographies of Disasters Group hosted Rachel Reimer who was visiting the University of Bern to share their research on risk, inclusion and belonging in mountain professions with the Berner Humangeographisches Kolloquium on 17 September 2024.
Rachel began leading a wildfire crew in 2012, and took a step off the fireline and into research and advocacy in 2017. Rachel’s MA research, The Wildfire Within offered an industry-changing perspective on gender, leadership and wildland fire culture. It was the first project of its kind to engage firefighters in open dialogue about gender, using technology to create a safe space, in the midst of a Canadian wildland fire community. Rachel’s current PhD project, Rise: An exploration of risk, inclusion + psychological safety in mountain guiding + avalanche professions worldwide focuses on bringing these insights into another mountain profession.
It has been insightful and rewarding collaborating with Rachel on their research journey since 2017. If you would like to read more, please contact us for a copy of our book chapter on: Leadership in Mountain and Wildland Professions in Canada: Examining the Impacts of Gender, Safety, and Climate Change.
Dr. Christine Eriksen 