When Paige Witham, the Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator at Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) in Baker City, Oregon, learned that nearly 90% of wildfires are caused by human activity, she realized that traditional fire safety education just wasn’t enough. So, she did something unexpected: she wrote a song.
With a background in music, Paige saw an opportunity to use the power of song to make safety messages stick. She knew from experience that lessons set to music are easier to remember. Using the melody to “This Land is Your Land”, she created a wildfire safety song that quickly resonated with local kids. As she put it, “What a great message of stewardship of the land. This land is your land. It’s my land. Let’s all protect it.”
The project was launched as part of OTEC’s WILD program (Wildfire Information, Learning and Development): a multi-faceted approach to wildfire mitigation, including camping guides, the wildfire song, advocacy with legislators, and more. The song has already been piloted at a summer camp and in a classroom, where dozens of children quickly caught on to the tune and loved the interactive elements.
“What they really enjoy is the parts where they get to yell, which was Shane’s idea,” Paige said, referring to Shane Stenquist, OTEC’s Manager of Communications. “He suggested adding those moments of loud energy.”
The fun is deliberate. “There are studies that show how music and mnemonics make learning stick,” she explained. “When information is set to music, people remember it.” By combining melody, lyrics, and physical activity, the project creates lasting impressions that ripple out from children to their parents. As she added, “When the kids sing, their parents are learning too, and that’s how we build wider awareness.”
This creative approach was made possible thanks to support from leadership at OTEC. Paige emphasized how much it matters to work for an organization that values innovation in community outreach. “One of our key values is environmental stewardship, and our idea was to create early education around wildfires. We have leadership here that is so forward thinking and innovative and encourages us to really explore as creatively as we possibly can to find solutions.”
For Paige, it’s a milestone project that blends her passion for music with OTEC’s mission of stewardship. “It’s the coolest thing ever to be able to say that I put out a song, and it’s through the cooperative.”
The Wildfire Song
This land is your land this land is my land
from mountain forests to grassy highlands
This land is precious so let’s protect it (FROM FIRE!)
This land is saved by you and me
When you go camping you must remember
your chains should not drag from your trailer
They could spark and start a fire (OH NO!)
This land is saved by you and me.
And at the campsite let’s keep the fire right
Keep it in a ring with water nearby
When you go to sleep put out your fire (OUT COLD)
This land is saved by you and me.
Fireworks can be so much fun! (BOOM)
But they are dangerous so here’s a tip hun!
watch a public show with your family (STAY SAFE)
This land is saved by you and me
We should never play with fire
Not with matches not with lighters
Let’s protect the animals and trees
This land is saved by you and me.
This land is your land this land is my land
from mountain forests to grassy highlands
This land is precious so let’s protect it (FROM FIRE!)
This land is saved by you and me