Wildfires Poison the Soil. This Scientist Has a Way To Heal It

From PBS Terra.

Wildfires don’t just burn homes—they leave behind a toxic legacy. When cars, buildings, and everyday materials go up in flames, they release heavy metals, asbestos, dioxins, and other contaminants that seep into soil and water, threatening communities long after the smoke clears.

Environmental scientist Danielle Stevenson is pioneering an alternative to the costly “dig-and-dump” approach that simply moves contaminated soil elsewhere. At fire sites across California, Danielle is harnessing fungi and native plants through a process called mycoremediation—using nature itself to break down pollutants, pull heavy metals from the ground, and help devastated landscapes heal.

Women of the Earth, produced by Summer Moon Productions, featuring stories of women across America who are leading a new movement to restore and protect the land. By focusing on women in land stewardship roles, the series will explore women’s unique relationship to the earth and their innovative undertakings to heal the earth from climate change.
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