Valeria Serna (speaker): Biomediation of Polluted Landscapes

Valeria Serna is a Board of Directors member of both Palisades Forestry Committee (PFC) and Resilient Palisades (RP).  She is the leader of the Water Sages group of RP focused on water conservation and native plants.  She has become an expert on soil remediation from fire damaged and toxic soil.  
Bioremediation is a nature-based model for restoring polluted landscapes by working with ecological systems rather than against them. Grounded in principles of ecological remediation, it mimics natural succession by using fungi, plants, and beneficial microbes to break down contaminants while rebuilding healthy soil, biodiversity, and long-term ecosystem function. By prioritizing biological diversity, circular “waste-as-resource” strategies, and bioregional plant communities, this approach supports complete remediation while creating resilient, regenerative environments that can sustain themselves over time.