Responding to the 2025 Fires in Southern California

We’re grieving the devastation and fallout of the recent fires in Southern California alongside you.

The fires and their ongoing aftermath highlight the critical shortcomings CAER has been working to address. The issue goes beyond fires. Los Angeles and Southern California need to develop a comprehensive ecological approach to remediate toxic sites. This will require:

  • accessible bioremediation training program

  • community testing capabilities

  • further research into the application of nature-based pollution remediation techniques

  • the development and implementation of community climate resilience plans

We’ve received hundreds of inquiries from our community about how to proceed - and we want nothing more than to offer support in this moment. Our response is evolving to meet the requests that we are receiving.

Interest form for Soil Contaminant Testing & Bioremediation through LA's Climate Resilience Soil Collaborative

Strategies for Bioremediation of Fire-Impacted Sites in Southern California

Webinar

The devastating fires in Southern California and the danger of debris flow and widespread contamination of soil and water has left many people wondering what can be done to protect their homes and their ecosystems. By allying with fungi, microbes and plants, we can prevent erosion, remediate pollutants, and support post-fire ecological regeneration. Experienced professional bioremediation practitioners and scientists will share what they’ve learned from their efforts, and provide insights into addressing the looming threats to LA and the surrounding areas. Come to this webinar to learn some of the basics of post-fire bioremediation and have your questions answered.

Panelists include:
Danielle Stevenson, PhD, Center for Applied Ecological Remediation (CAER)

Hannah Hartmann, Maui Bioremediation Group

Maya Elson, UC Santa Cruz and San Jose State

Matthew Teutimez, Gabrieleno-Kizh Band of Mission Indians and LINKS

Mia Maltz, PhD, University of Connecticut and Corenewal

Nance Klehm, Social Ecologies and CAER

Webinar Recording

Training Programs &
Bioremediation Response

We’ve received an overwhelming amount of requests from community organizations and community partners for training on implementing bioremediation. To provide these services, CAER needs support.

What we need for trainings:

  • Funding to pay experts on our team to lead these trainings and materials including PPE, Bioregional Fungal Inoculum, and expenses of running these trainings.

    • We are in the midst of applying for federal funds to support these efforts but the future availability of these funds is increasingly uncertain, and even so, they wouldn’t be available in time to meet the requests we are getting.

  • Space - either funding to rent space, or a warehouse space with outdoor space.

  • If you’re able to offer any of these, please email info@caer.earth, or contribute directly

We’re also working to build out capacity in line with our long term vision:

  • a community pollution testing lab where we can provide low-cost or free testing

  • a full time staff providing ecological remediation planning, engineering, and implementation equitably to pollution impacted communities

  • a local bioregional fungal inocolum production facility

  • soil banking capacity

  • further research into nature-based pollution remediation solutions