Wildfire knows no borders — and neither does the instinct to help. In this episode of LA Rising, Kim Marshall looks north to British Columbia, where another brutal fire season is testing communities, farms, tourism, and thousands of evacuees.where another brutal fire season is testing communities, farms, tourism, and thousands of evacuees.

Wellness Coach and spa industry veteran, Kathryn Stolle, a 40-year B.C.resident, reflects on how the last four years of climate change compare to decades prior. Lisa Jaager, General Manager of Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa in the Okanagan Valley — ground zero for one of this year's 100 regional fires — describes evacuating a hotel that had become a refuge for people who'd already lost their homes. And Ellen Walker-Matthews, CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and herself a fire evacuee, shares stories of extraordinary generosity, the economic stakes for small businesses, and why recovery takes both preparation and hope.

Together, these three stories show what neighbors helping neighbors looks like in a crisis — and why the choices we make today matter for generations to come.

Share this with anyone navigating wildfire recovery, or anyone who thinks Canada's forests are the only thing burning. And when the time is right, consider returning to this beautiful wine and lake region to support the local businesses that make it so special.

Resources:

• FireSmoke Canada: Interactive wildfire smoke and air-quality forecasting mentioned by Catherine Stolle https://firesmoke.ca/

• Canadian Red Cross: A resource Catherine recommended for supporting communities affected by wildfire https://www.redcross.ca/

• Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association: Led by guest Ellen Walker-Matthews, with information on the region, local businesses, and responsible travel https://www.totabc.org/

• Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa: Led by guest Lisa Jager and featured prominently in the episode https://www.summerlandresorthotel.com/

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When the Guadalupe River rose with almost no warning on July 4, 2025, the Texas Hill Country was changed forever. In this episode of LA Rising, host Kim Marshall looks beyond the headlines to ask what true recovery looks like one year later. First, Kim speaks with Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, about launching the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, building a survivor-centered recovery system through RebuildKerr.org, funding temporary housing, supporting mental health care, and learning how philanthropy can move quickly while still planning for years of recovery. Then, Kim sits down with Mary Campana, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Kerr County, to hear how Habitat helped rebuild homes, move families to safer ground, and restore the dignity and stability that come with having a place to call home. This is a story of grief, grit, generosity, and the relationships that hold a community together after the unthinkable. Listen, share this episode with someone who cares about disaster recovery, and visit the resources below to support families still rebuilding in Kerr County and beyond.

Resources:

• Rebuild Kerr

• The Hill Country's Community Foundation

• Habitat for Humanity Kerr County

• Family Mental Health Care Fund: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Rebuild Kerr Down Payment Assistance - Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC)

• Kerr County Small Business Recovery Program | LiftFund

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A year and a half after the Eaton and Palisades fires, host Kim Marshall takes listeners on a ground-level tour of the two fire zones — from the Altadena Rebuild Trade Show, where hope looks like soil science and a “Sears catalog” of home with a sense of place.  To the Palibu Rebuild Expo, where facing the reality of living in a warming world and saying no to fossil fuel products like astroturf, giving hope to displaced seniors and embracing the healing power of nature are reshaping what recovery means.

Along the way: a Red Cross board member and a volunteer firefighter-dentist making the case that "Ready is the New Well," how leaders of a burned down YMCA are keeping community alive without a building, and the people refusing to let the fire have the last word.

Our episode begins and ends with a symbol of resilience named Bernard. The power of inspiration and renewal from that 170-year-old tree is the whole episode in one story.  Dispatches from the Rebuild is living history, told by the people living it.

• https://caer.earth – Center for Applied Ecological Remediation 

• https://www.foothillcatalog.org

• https://www.resilientpalisades.org

• https://www.wiseandhealthyaging.org

• https://www.wiseandhealthyaging.org

• https://monarch-nursery.com

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Cecelia Girr is Director of Cultural Strategy at Backslash, the cultural intelligence unit of Omnicom Advertising, and the author of Ready Is the New Well, a landmark report for the Global Wellness Summit on preparedness as a cultural movement.

In this special double-hosted episode, Cecelia joins our host, Kim Marshall ,and After the Fire CEO, Jennifer Gray Thompson, and Kim Marshall to talk about what the data actually shows: why extreme weather is no longer extreme, why the 2030s will be defined by resilience, and how preparedness has moved from the fringes of doomsday prepper culture into the mainstream.

They cover fear-based messaging and why it drives paralysis rather than action, Yale research showing that small acts of preparedness reduce anxiety and depression, the role of technology in democratising disaster readiness, the rise of disaster-literate social media creators and brands designing for emergencies, and why social connection turns out to be the strongest predictor of survival after a disaster. 

This is a conversation about culture, data, and what it actually looks like when a society decides to get ready.  Find out the key role wellness businesses can play in a warming world. 

Resources:

• Ready Is the New Well - Global Wellness Institute

• Backslash at Omnicom Advertising

• LA Rising Podcast with Kim Marshall

• Watch Duty App

• Community Brigade Malibu

• How to Disaster

• Learn more about After the Fire USA

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In this episode, our host, Kim Marshall, reunites with Councilwoman Traci Park—the leader she first met stranded on the roadside during the Palisades Fire. Together, they unpack what really happens after the cameras leave: the long-tail trauma that outlasts the smoke, the mental health crisis facing fire survivors, and the brutal maze of insurance, rebuilding, and bureaucracy. 

Traci shares candidly how she sees her job (“I was elected to fight City Hall, not be City Hall”), why wellness—from clean streets and safe housing to Venice’s emerging wellness corridor—is at the center of every decision she makes, and how communities can stay united instead of turning on each other during the long rebuild. This conversation is for anyone navigating disaster recovery, questioning government response, or looking for grounded reasons to hope—and practical ways to plug into help. It’s fitting that the episode was filmed at the podcast studio in the wellness-themed, Moss co-working space. 

Our Wellness Lift segment features guidance from Colonel Eric Swenson of the Army Corps of Engineers and representatives from the Trauma Resource Institute on the life and death realities of supporting each other post disaster and the importance of resetting the nervous system after trauma. 

Resources:

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When disaster strikes, animals are often among the most vulnerable and least visible victims. In this deeply moving episode of LA Rising, Kim Marshall speaks with Dr. Leslie Irvine, Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of Filling the Ark: Animal Welfare in Disasters, about how wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and toxic burn zones affect pets, livestock, and wildlife. From the lessons of Hurricane Katrina to the realities of the Palisades and Eaton Fires, Dr. Irvine explains why animal disaster planning is not optional; it is practical, public health-centered, and deeply human. This episode also features a heartwarming Wellness Lift with Emmy-winning animation director, David Knott, whose docu-animated short, Disaster Cats, tells the true story of Bergie, a cat who survived 32 days in the Eaton Fire burn zone before being reunited with her family. You’ll also hear from volunteer cat rescuers Lexi and Amy, who helped trap and reunite lost fire cats in Altadena. Listen in for stories of heartbreak, community courage, and practical steps every animal guardian can take now: microchip your pets, build a go bag, rehearse evacuation, and get to know the neighbors who may one day help save the animals you love.

Resources:

• Read Filling the Ark: Animal Welfare in Disasters by Dr. Leslie Irvine

• PHAR – Pet Help and Rescue App 

• Check out Disaster Cats on Ashes to Films

• Follow Disaster Cats on Instagram: @disastercats_film

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After wildfire strips a neighborhood bare, what helps people heal, and what helps a community breathe again? In this moving episode of LA Rising, host Kim Marshall explores the deep connection between recovery and the urban forest with sustainable landscape architect David Card of the Palisades Forestry Committee and biophilia expert Jennifer Walsh.

Together, they reveal why trees are far more than scenery: they cool our homes, calm our nervous systems, protect communities, and help restore hope after loss. From the fight to save surviving trees in Pacific Palisades to the science behind why even 40 seconds of looking at nature can ease stress, this conversation is both practical and deeply restorative.

Listen in for a powerful reminder that rebuilding is not only about structures, but also about replanting beauty, resilience, and belonging, one tree and one neighborhood at a time. Then share this episode, support local replanting and recovery efforts, and be part of bringing the green back to Los Angeles.

Resources:

• Palisades Forestry Committee

• Walks with Walsh

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In this episode of L.A. Rising, host Kim Marshall sits down with NY1 Chief Meteorologist John Davitt to unpack life in the age of unprecedented weather events. Fresh off reporting from the front lines of NYC’s recent Nor’Easter and bomb cyclone, John explains the jarring shift in the frequency of billion-dollar weather disasters –from every three months in the 1980’s to every three weeks today. We dive into the science behind how climate change is supercharging storms and heating our oceans. We discuss the human cost and emotional toll these events take on not only those in their path but the experts tasked with delivering the warnings.  We’ll hear why reporting like John’s is a beacon of evidence and hope, offering practical steps—from congestion pricing to household habits—that turn fear into empowerment. 

This week’s Wellness Lift segment brings to life one of John’s suggestions: being conscious of the kind of fashion choices you make. We’ll talk to eco fashion expert, Sita Thompson, and find out why doing the right thing with our clothing not only makes sense but can look and feel so good.

Resources:

• Instagram: @johndavittontv

• Climate Central

• John Davitt — Chief Meteorologist

• SITA Couture

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What if the thing that saves us isn’t rebuilding a house, but rebuilding our story? In this deeply human episode of LA Rising, host Kim Marshall sits down with Kathleen Katims, founder of Saved by a Story, a nonprofit offering free writing workshops to wildfire survivors, foster youth, seniors, and others navigating life’s hardest seasons. After losing her own Pacific Palisades home in the 2025 fires, Kathleen began guiding fellow survivors to write their way through grief, humor, shock, and resilience—often in just ten minutes. You’ll hear unforgettable stories from the workshops, including “My House is a Poem,” a love letter from a burned-down home to its owner, and a surprisingly hilarious treasure unearthed from the ashes. If you believe storytelling heals, this episode will show you why. Share it with someone who needs connection—and consider attending a workshop or supporting LA Rising’s mission to preserve these living histories of hope.

Resources:

• Saved by a Story

• SBAS Wildfire Survivor Workshops

• Wende Museum

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We go live for this episode to literally the first address on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu – and one of a handful of oceanfront structures still standing post-fire along a seven-mile stretch of coastline – to commemorate the first anniversary of the 2025 L.A. Fires. Host and fire evacuee, Kim Marshall, moderates a panel of creatives – filmmakers, photographers, storytellers, a high school coach, and even a student activist – who share the unique ways they are helping their communities heal, post-fire. 

The Wellness Lift Segment goes East to New York’s Hudson Valley to the historic Mohonk Mountain House resort, where the Director of Mindfulness Programming, Nina Smiley, shares practical and positive tips to squelch anxiety, depression, and anger post-trauma.

Resources:

• www.creativevisions.org

• Big Rock Burning | PBS

• Ashes To Films

• Learn more about treeams

• Mindfulness Spa Offerings | Mohonk

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