Ever wonder what’s going on in that vacant lot up the road? How do old industrial sites and brownfields build up health and transition to meadows, thickets, marshes, and forests?

We’re excited to share with you a new poster: Five Secrets of Healing Wildlands. This resource came out of the final workshop in our series, North-End Raccoon Walks, after an adventure in the poison forest that has been rewilding an old fuel storage site for the past forty years.

Print this poster up and post it near the rewilding sites where you live! It is 8.5×11 (click to view it larger) and is in jpeg format. Email us at knowingtheland(at)gmail(dot)com if you want it in pdf or any other format.

Check back for more resources coming out of this workshop series. It was super fun and inspiring for all of us, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with you.

Five Secrets of Healing Wildlands

Habitat: Creatures disperse seed, increasing biodiversity

Cleaning the Air: Give thanks to the trees for helping us breathe! In addition to releasing oxygen, trees remove toxins from the air, and the fuzzy berries of Staghorn Sumac sweep particulates.

Building Soil: Fast growing, generous weedy plants enrich soil. Strong plants like Mullein can help to break concrete, while clovers fix nitrogen.

Slowing and filtering water: Poplar species contain contaminated groundwater, while cattails filter sediment and prevent erosion.

Breaking down and storing toxins: Underground, tree roots stabilize soil, mycelium digests toxins, and Wild Mustard contains lead and chromium.