The area, once severely damaged by mining activities, has undergone a remarkable transformation due to the efforts of an Indigenous community.
These restoration initiatives focus on addressing the environmental degradation caused by previous mining operations, which left the land in a toxic state.
The community-led approach highlights the importance of local knowledge and capacity in restoring ecosystems and improving land usability.
Updates
Update at 14:00 UTC on 2026-03-15
Guardian Environment reported The Quapaw Nation is the only US Native community to carry out a cleanup of one of the country’s worst sites of environmental contamination.
Sources: Guardian Environment