Reclamation - restoring disturbed lands

"Deep within a midlife adventure crisis, I find myself in Tasmania, about to descend a sickly orange, biologically dead river the locals call pumpkin soup.  Seeking out places that aren't always the prettiest, wildest or biggest, the Queen river, after 100 years of runoff from a mine, is considered the most polluted river in Australia.

For two days I had a hard time reconciling between the tremendous damage humanity is capable of, and how that same energy and desire must be used to fix this very big problem. That, and the fact there were times on the river, deep within the wonders of Tasmania’s landscape, I had to remind myself I was floating on water that can’t support life."