Mary Lata

Mary has been interested in fire and fire effects since she was approximately 7 and earn a master’s in Physical Geography, and a Ph.D. in Geoscience, at the University of Iowa with a focus on the thermal dynamics of grassfire, and the potential effects of soil moisture on first order fire effects.

Mary has worked on prescribed fires since 1993, and wildfires since 1999 as an Engine Boss, a Fire Effects Monitor, and a Type 5 Incident Commander. She has worked for The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, and is currently employed as a Fire Ecologist with the US Forest Service.

She grew up in Iowa, where she always had her own garden plot, and has admitted to leaving a trail of flowering bulbs in the various locations where she has lived. Combining her love of fire and plants has led her on a path towards fire-safe and native landscaping.