Sara G. Marti

Fire-Resilient Bioremediation and Landscape Recovery Consortium Purpose This document explains when and how bioremediation may be appropriate for residential properties impacted by urban fire-related soil contamination. It is intended to support informed decision-making. It does not replace professional or regulatory guidance. What Bioremediation Is Bioremediation works with living systems such as plants, fungi, and soil microbes to reduce contamination in place. There are three main...

Planting native sunflowers is a beautiful and meaningful act. Calling that bioremediation is inaccurate and can be unsafe. Real bioremediation, as shown in Dr. Danielle Stevenson’s research across Los Angeles County, requires testing first, plants plus fungi plus microbes, time, monitoring, and careful handling of contaminated plant material at the end. When we’re honest about that difference, we protect people, land, and trust. And we still get to enjoy the sunflowers.

I’d love to sit here and say, “In 2025, we filtered through the noise so you didn’t have to.” But the noise hit everyone. Fast and loud. Like air rushing past your ears on a roller coaster you didn’t choose to get on.