Bioremediation & Earth Repair
October 14th -November 18th
Learn to work with our plant, fungal, and bacterial allies to detoxify and heal the earth. This class will introduce you to a dynamic and diverse toolkit of ecological approaches for cleaning up and regenerating toxic soil and water.
Sign up with members of your community to benefit from our group discounts.
What is Bioremediation & Earth Repair?
What is Bioremediation?
Bioremediation is the practice of working with microorganisms, plants, and fungi to remove, breakdown, or neutralize contaminants in polluted lands and waters. Bioremediation engages and collaborates with living systems to detoxify and regenerate contaminated environments, restoring ecological health and resilience. Whether applied to urban gardens, farms, wildlands, watershed protection, or disaster recovery, it is important for bioremediation and earth repair to be guided by environmental justice and rooted in ecological reciprocity and community care. This course will provide an introduction to different bioremediation tools and techniques, highlighting inspiring bioremediation projects and innovative practitioners who are working with regenerative remedies to heal toxic realities.
Defining Terms
- Microbial Remediation: Working with microorganisms to bind or break down contaminants in soil and water.
- Mycoremediation: Working with fungi to remove, bind, or break down contaminants in soil and water.
- Phytoremediation: Working with plants to remove or break down chemicals in soil, water, and air
(Photo credit: Oliver Kellhammer)
Every class will include case studies to learn from real life examples and applications.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Photo by CoRenewal
What You’ll Be Learning
- Session 1 – Bioremediation Overview & Microbial Remediation: Definition and overview of bioremediation. Site assessment and soil testing. Contaminants 101. Introduction to microbial remediation and key microbial remediation tools (thermophyllic compost, actively aerated compost tea, vermiculture, biochar, EM and IMOs).
- Session 2 – Phytoremediation: Introduction to phytoremediation and working with plants for heavy metal accumulation, chemical breakdown, and phytofiltration.
- Session 3 – Mycoremediation: Introduction to mycoremediation and working with fungi for chemical breakdown, mycofiltration, and mycorenewal.
- Session 4 – Bioremediation & Disasters: Wildfires: Bioremediation responses for post-wildfire contamination.
- Session 5 – Community Bioremediation Projects: Tips for designing successful bioremediation
projects.
- Session 6 – Responding Oil Spills & Self Care for Bioremediators and Frontline Communities: Oil spill behavior & conventional clean-up. Bioremediation tools for oil spill response. Self-Care & community care: Working with plants and fungi for self-care, health, and resilience in toxic environments.
“Leila’s knowledge and great facilitation skills while respecting a de-colonial and intersectional feminist approach were amazing.”
MEET YOUR TEACHER
Leila Darwish, Lead Instructor
Leila Darwish (she/her) is a community organizer, bioremediation educator, author, and disaster response and recovery worker with a deep commitment to providing accessible and transformative tools for communities dealing with the toxic contamination of their lands and waters, and responding to natural and environmental disasters. Leila currently works in the field of emergency management, disaster resilience and recovery, and supporting communities on the frontline of climate change.
Leila is the author of, “Earth Repair: A Grassroots Guide to Healing Toxic and Damaged Landscapes” (New Society Publishers: print, ebook, audiobook).
We are proud to call Leila a graduate of Earth Activist Training’s Permaculture Design Certificate course.
Guest Presentations by Community Bioremediators
READ WHILE YOU WAIT
(Photo credit: Robin Gunkel, Rhizae Renewal Collective)
Writings & Resources
- Presentation by Leila Darwish: Bioremediation for Urban Gardens (2024)
- Interview with Leila Darwish: The Art and Science of ‘Earth Repair,’ Columbia University Climate School (2021)
- For the Wild podcast: Interview with Ayana Young, “Grassroots Earth Repair” (2015, 58 minutes)
- Article: “Women in Bioremediation” (2020)
- Resource: “Detox and Prevantative Medicine for Grasroots Remediators”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
COURSE INFORMATION
- Location: Virtual
- Dates: October 14th -November 18th (6 weeks)
- Timing: Tuesday 6:00-8:00 pm PST
- Helpful tool: Time Zone Converter
- Taught by Leila Darwish, author of Earth Repair
- Each week has: 2 hours of live classes, various guest speakers, videos, and supporting resources.
- All live sessions are recorded and closed captioned.
- Access to resources, documentation, and recorded class content in virtual classroom.
PAYMENT
We are dedicated to making our courses as accessible as possible by offering:
- Sliding-scale tuition: $300-$350.
- Four-part payment plans: $75 at registration with 3 monthly payments of $75.
- Alumni tuition: $100 to retake this course.
- Diversity scholarships available: See below.
- Group Discounts: See below.
- All amounts are in US dollars.
- See below for details.
SCHOLARSHIPS & DISCOUNTS
- Group discounts and Diversity Scholarships available? Yes!
- Keep reading below.
QUESTIONS?
We are here for you. Reach us at: support@earthactivisttraining.org
FUNDING YOUR EDUCATION
Payment options
Sliding Scale Tuition
- Standard Tuition: $300
- Abundant Tuition: $350
- Every Abundant Tuition helps support a Diversity Scholarship.
Alumni Price
- Alumni Tuition $100
- For those who want a refresher. You need to have taken this course with us before.
*all amounts in US dolars
PAYMENT PLAN
- Payment of $75 when you register.
- Three monthly installments of $75 ($300 total.)
- Our Student Support Team will assist you in setting this up.
GROUP DISCOUNTS
- Groups of 2-5 people – Discount of $50 off each ($250 for each person.)
- Organizations of 6+ people – Contact support@eat-activist.org for special group rates.
- You must indicate who is in your group at registration.
Diversity Scholarships
DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS
- Earth Activist Training is committed to increasing the diversity of global permaculture and regenerative land movements.
- We recognize the history of this land called the United States and Canada, and seek to do what we can to rectify the deep injustices and systems of inequity that formed and continue to shape society today.
- Diversity Scholarships are available for Indigenous Peoples and People of Color working in environmental or social justice.
- These scholarships are pay-what-you-can with the recommended value of 50% of standard tuition, but any amount will be accepted and appreciated.
- To apply, select “Diversity Scholarship” in the payment section on the registration form below.
- Earth Activist Training’s Diversity Scholarship fund is supported by donations. Visit our Diversity Fund page if you wish to support our Scholarship program.
If you have any questions, we are always here to help: support@earthactivisttraining.org
Register
Click here to Register
YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY
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OUR NETWORK
A core component of this course – and every Earth Activist Training course – is our private forum: Earth Activist Training Online network. This platform is where you will find course resources, your homework, and a network to connect with classmates and other Earth Activist students.
Recordings of each class will be available to you as a resource. You will have access to the course for a year after the course ends should you want to deepen your understanding of the material.
Have a question?
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