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 tutorial 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. Swap zines and enjoy a 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. Our small team will make every reasonable effort to accommodate requests.
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, 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
Arden Stern is a scholar of U.S. visual culture and design history whose current research analyzes the labor history of graphic design in the United States and material histories of digital media. They currently teach in the department of Humanities and Sciences at ArtCenter College of Design, where they are a proud member of the ArtCenter Faculty Federation (AFT Local 5648). Arden has been the recipient of research fellowships from the Walter P. Reuther Library, Winterthur Library, and American Antiquarian Society, as well as of ArtCenter's Samsung-endowed Faculty Enrichment Grant and the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography Educator Grant. Arden has contributed to various publications, including Design and Culture, Design Issues, and Print, and are currently preparing a book manuscript that analyzes race and labor hierarchies in United States graphic design history.
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.
