Going out on a limb for chemical clean-up
Thu, 10 May 2012 09:38:17 GMT —
A northern Michigan Indian tribe will plant thousands of black willows on a contaminated site, hoping the trees will help cleanse the area by pulling toxic chemicals from the ground.
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians received the willows from Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit group that clones some of the world's biggest and oldest trees to preserve their genetics.
They'll be planted on tribal property near Manistee Lake in the village of Eastlake. Meryl Marsh of the Archangel group said Wednesday that black willows are fast-growing trees known for breaking down and absorbing contaminants.
Tribal natural resources director Jimmie Mitchell says his office will take core samples yearly to measure how well the trees are performing. He says they're a cheaper option than replacing the tainted soil.
You can see a video about the trees produced by Archangel by clicking here.