Sense/Make: Bioremediation 101— A Zine Workshop

How do we heal land and make meaning in the process? Can ecological remediation and creative practice bolster one another? Join us for Bioremediation 101, the first of the three-part interdisciplinary series, Sense/Make, led by Dr. Danielle Stevenson of the Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation (CAER) to learn the basics of bioremediation theory and history including working with contaminated soils and employing fungi and plants for ecological healing. Through a combination of lecture and guided discussion, we’ll interlace case studies of Superfund sites and community gardens with personal stories of pollution in everyday life. Finally, we’ll synthesize the day’s findings in a hands-on zine-making workshop led by Arden Stern, a scholar of U.S. visual culture and co-founder of Trade School. Take your zine home or make copies to swap it with others!

$5 RSVP rate | $8 day of door rate (no one turned away for lack of funds)

Tea service provided by Shanhuan Manton.

This workshop is geared towards teens and older, but open to all ages. For accessibility needs and accommodations, please contact aqz@fathomers.org.

Bios

Danielle Stevenson is a pioneering mycologist, environmental scientist, and educator specializing in mycoremediation and sustainable practices. She holds a PhD in Environmental Toxicology from the University of California, Riverside. She has collaborated with communities, researchers, and policymakers to implement bioremediation projects that utilize fungi and other natural systems to clean up pollutants like heavy metals and hydrocarbons. Her initiatives include Healing City Soils, which combines science and community collaboration to tackle urban pollution and support sustainable land use, and D.I.Y. Fungi, which harnesses the power of fungi to address environmental challenges such as soil contamination, pollution, and ecosystem restoration.

Arden Stern is a scholar of U.S. visual culture whose research focuses on the labor history of graphic design and printing. Arden is an Associate Professor of Humanities and Sciences at ArtCenter College of Design, a proud member of the ArtCenter Faculty Federation (AFT Local 5648), and has contributed to publications including the Journal of Design History, Design and Culture, Design Issues, and Print.

About Sense/Make

Sense/Make is an interdisciplinary workshop series exploring ecological remediation at the intersection of creative practice co-presented by the Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation (CAER), Trade School, and Fathomers. In three sessions unfolding throughout Fall 2025, participants are welcome to join one, some, or all workshops to learn the basics of bioremediation and meet a community of creative practitioners as we explore its poetic, political, and material dimensions: What stories live in the soil? What residues remain? And how might we compost harm into new forms of care? Designed for artists, scientists, musicians, land stewards, and community members, each session blends ecological fieldwork, creative process, and collective reflection. No experience necessary—just curiosity, presence, and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

October 11: Bioremediation 101— A Zine Workshop

November 8: Fieldwork— Composing Soil

December 13: Lab— Microbes & Monsters, Tools for Healing

Photo credit: Adam Armengual Slauson