DIY Fungi

New paper just dropped! We identified California native plants that act as metal accumulators and fungal bioremediation candidates adapted to hot, dry contaminated environments. This expands the toolkit for remediating and restoring contaminated soils in Southern California and similar climates. Thanks to my brilliant coauthors at University of California Riverside.

Some pictures from this years highschool bioremediation certificate program in partnership with . It started with just the highschool next to the largest and most contaminated field site as part of my phyto-mycoremediation studies in LA and now is open to any LA high school student. It’s a mix of theory and hands on learning at a bioremediation pilot site. These pics from this year’s field sampling day, we returned to sample one of the field sites more than one year after finishing the study. It makes me feel so much to return to these sites and see them thriving and blooming with the native flowers and fungi we put in long after harvesting everything for sampling. It’s so rewarding offering the kind of environmental education opportunities I wish I had had in public school. Third year running this program and still going!

Thanks for the interview! Read the full story here: https://e360.yale.edu/features/danielle-stevenson-interview

Honored that my PhD research into fungi and plant remediation of brownfields in California was picked up by the Guardian!

‘Solar powered vacuum cleaners’: the native plants that could clean toxic soil Indigenous groups see hope in the environmentally friendly process of bioremediation. But will cities pay attention?

My research with fungi and plants cleaning up contaminated sites was featured in the Guardian! Honored. Read the whole article here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/14/native-plants-fungi-soil-bioremediation

So I graduated and finished the PhD in environmental toxicology! Shown here on some of the bioremediation study sites in LA with seeds I planted all grown up, and at UCR at graduation. Wanted to add that Chumbawumba song “I get knocked down but I get up again “ and “can’t do without you” by caribou to acknowledge how challenging this has been and the near constant obstacles as well as the many humans and beings and forces without whose love and support these projects and PhD never would have been possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ❤️

http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-danielle-stevenson-of-the-study-took-place-in-three-different-neighborhoods-koreatown-south-central-and-frogtown-ne-la/

Meet Danielle Stevenson - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Stevenson. Danielle Stevenson As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do? I work with fungi (and plants and microbes and people) to clean up pollution in […...

Been while since I posted an update about the phyto-mycoremediation study. Can’t wait to share what we’ve been learning! Overall the plants and fungi have grown well and the transformation of these sites has been a profound honor to witness. Our results so far seem promising for soil remediation of lead and other metals as well as petrochemical contamination. To finish this study I’ll need a lot of help! Sign up here for volunteer shifts this May: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p2lL7xhaRGZKB5fHao7gIVsan1Yq8oAqzWiAHiwmsQA/edit.

Yayyyy New Moon Mycology Summit is happening again this summer!

FRIENDS WE ARE LIVE!!

We cant wait to see you this Summer!

https://www.themyceliumunderground.com/

Artwork by talented Bri Barton from Everybody Colors

Super exciting! A program on 'the fungal kingdom' featuring Merlin Sheldrake, Guiliana Furci and myself on BBC World News! Listen here:

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, The fungi kingdom Why fungi are important for all terrestrial life.