Michelle's Earth Foundation

This year MESUNOLA, Michelle's Sunflowers in New Orleans, continues in its efforts to remediate lead contaminated soil by planting sunflowers. Volunteers from around the country, including Taylor Elementary School and H-B Woodlawn High School here in Arlington, have been working to turn sunflower phytoremediation into a beautiful reality in the city's poorest neighborhoods.

H-B Woodlawn volunteers with science adviser David Soles

In one collaborative effort Darcy McDonald and Gail Klein at Taylor ES helped fourth graders and kindergartner's start seedlings in cups. The sprouts went to New Orleans with science adviser Dave Soles and H-B Woodlawn seniors to plant on MESUNOLA lots. See the adjoining pictures.

Darcy McDonald with seed cups & Taylor students planting seeds...

Dr. Ed Bush, an Agronomy professor at Louisiana State University, has been working closely with MEF, Michelle's Earth Foundation volunteers to study and validate the effectiveness of the sunflower's lead removing capacity. This semester he has initiated a project with graduate students at LSU who will test the ability of various native plants to remediate soil contaminants. This study is being conducted in New Orleans on land and soil from MESUNOLA lots.

H-B Woodlawn lot in NOLA & college volunteers preparing a lot for planting

MESUNOLA has always been focused on educating the public about lead contamination and inexpensive, effective removal of toxins. We plan to take this effort to new levels in the coming year. The initiative is moving towards an educational outreach model that will work with elementary and middle school students to help them remediate the soil at their own schools, teaching them about the scientific process as well as the growing process, while making their schools safer at the same time. The program has also been working closely with many other non-profit groups in different capacities to increase public awareness. This includes planting sunflowers on contaminated lots owned by the fair housing initiative Jericho Road, which works in Central City to provide affordable housing to displaced residents in the historically low-income district.

As awareness of the dangers of lead contamination in New Orleans increases, so does the awareness of environmentally sound and inexpensive methods to reverse the problem. MESUNOLA has and will continue to facilitate this awareness in the hopes that New Orleans can be a safer place for children to learn and grow.

For more information, please contact [email protected]. Also, see the June 1 Washington Post article, "In Louisiana, Planting Seeds of Memory".