Knowledge Share Description

War leaves behind a toxic legacy that devastates ecosystems, contaminates water sources, and harms communities for generations after. Explosives, heavy metals, white phosphorus, and other chemicals can linger in the soil and water, posing long-term threats to health and food security. This knowledge share will provide an introduction to bioremediation — the practice of allying with living organisms to detoxify and regenerate contaminated soils and water. Participants will learn how to work with plants, fungi, beneficial microorganisms, and other regenerative remedies to remove, neutralize, or break down the toxic contaminants left by war. We will explore how bioremediation can help restore contaminated and damaged farmlands, heal ecosystems, protect water resources, and support healthy food systems in war-impacted areas. Where wars specifically seek to destroy and poison the land to make it uninhabitable for the peoples of that place, bioremediation is resistance, remedy, and resilience. Highlighting strategies for practical, place-based, and community-centered approaches to ecological healing, we will hold the realities of Palestine, Lebanon, and Ukraine in our hearts and as our guide. Join us for an honest and hopeful exploration of bioremediation possibilities for healing the ecological wounds and toxic realities of war and genocide.

We will explore:

• Explore different bioremediation modalities, including working with beneficial micro-organisms (microbial remediation), biochar, plants (phytoremediation), and fungi (mycoremediation) to detox, heal and regenerate contaminated lands and waters

• Unearth key contaminants, toxic legacies, and ecological destruction caused by war and military occupation

• Explore bioremediation possibilities and approaches for supporting healthy food systems, reducing harm, and healing the toxic legacies and ecological destruction of war - with a focus on Palestine, Lebanon, and Ukraine

• Connect with different plant and fungi allies and learn how they can immobilize, extract, or break down toxic contaminants commonly found in the aftermath of war

• Consider various strategies to support farmers and communities in restoring soil and growing healthy food in the aftermath of toxic soil contamination from war and military activies, including working with indigenous micro-organisms, microbial remediation, biochar, native fungi, and more

• Reflect on important considerations and limitations for application of bioremediation in war and conflict zones

Cost

$35 - early bird until January 15, 2025

$45 - low income

$65 - standard

$90 - pay-it-forward (if you have financial abundance, this is our pay-it-forward option to fund our full tuition scholarships)

or access this knowledge share via our Living Library

For more information on sliding scale please check out this amazing work!

The zoom link will be sent upon registration. Recording will be available for 30 days.

Please apply here for a scholarship.

FREE for SWANA community. Please email to receive code.

Living Library

You can access this knowledge share and all of our 2025 knowledge shares by becoming a member of the Living Library.

We invite you to become a member of our Living Library, Herban Cura’s digital school & archive. The Living Library, is a subscription giving access to over 200 hours of  present and past knowledge shares by wisdom holders, professors, land stewards, seed keepers, and investigators spanning Indigenous horse connections & dark sky wisdom, to seaweed medicine & more.

You can sign up here to become a monthly or annual member

Accessibility Information

Virtual Gathering

*ASR (automated) captioning provided

The knowledge share zoom link will be sent out immediately upon purchase, along with any other necessary information.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

3:00pm - 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time

Class will be recorded and available for 30 days. This means you can join from anywhere in the world.

Facilitator

Leila Darwish (she/her) is a bioremediation specialist, community organizer, writer, and educator with a deep commitment to providing accessible and regenerative tools for communities dealing with the toxic contamination of lands and waters. She is the author of “Earth Repair: A Grassroots Guide to Healing Toxic and Damaged Landscapes” (New Society Publishers). For over a decade, she has taught bioremediation courses and supported community projects in North America, Europe, and Palestine. Her work is rooted in environmental and social justice, inspired by community resistance and resilience, mutual aid, and regenerative earth repair. Honouring her Palestinian ancestry (her father’s family are Palestinian refugees who ended up living in Lebanon after the Nakba before immigrating to Canada), Leila is passionate and dedicated to exploring bioremediation possibilities for supporting food justice, community health, and ecological recovery in lands impacted by the destruction of war and occupation.