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Article   Restoring Forests After Wildfires: A Path to Recovery    Wildfires and the Danger They Represent    “The Earth”, the enormous blue sphere we live on, is the only place in the entire universe where life can thrive. All living beings need oxygen. However, we have caused more harm to our planet than at any other period in Earth’s 5-billion-year history, betraying the lungs we use to breathe over and over again.    We ignore the richness we have under our feet, causing us to look for other planets when we have the best environment to live in. In a universe 93 billion light years wide, what would you say if you were asked “Which is more valuable: forests or diamonds?”. In today’s world, diamonds are far more valuable than forests, which could be cut down for our comfort. However, while there are diamonds all over the universe, the only known planet that has forests is Earth.    The United Nations defines wildfires as “an unplanned, unwanted wildland fire (including unauthorized human-caused fires)” and they have become a growing problem in many parts of the world. As climate change intensifies, so does the severity of these fires, leaving forests in ruins, causing various plant species to go extinct, wiping out the animals' habitat and unbalancing the ecosystem that has been home for the living beings for thousands of years. Moreover, wildfires release enormous amounts of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which speeds up the process of climate change and creates a cycle of fire and loss.    If we think deeper about these wildfires, we realize that humans are not entirely responsible for them; in some cases (like lightning), nature can cause them but in most cases, they are caused by human ignorance.    What is a Seed Bomb?    A seed bomb may seem simple, but its impacts are tremendous. It is a method that protects seeds from birds, insects and harmful solar rays until the conditions are suitable for the seeds to germinate. Seeds are covered by a layer of clay and fertilizer and wait for rain to fall. Moreover, it can be put into the soil at any time because the seeds inside will wait for their time and the right environment to bloom.    Small Solutions for Big Impacts   Rehabilitating areas after wildfires is a crucial step for keeping the ecological balance. Seed bombs are an efficient way of reducing the effects of wildfires. When you plant a seed bomb, you don’t need to worry about it; it won’t be harmed and you don’t need to water or check it regularly. Even a child can easily make and plant a seed bomb. Forests lose their biodiversity after wildfires. Plants burn and the animals run away to seek shelter and food sources in a secure habitat. These seed bombs expedite plant growth and encourage animals to return to their habitat. The traditional way of planting trees after wildfires requires major labor and resources. However, seed bombs are low-cost, fast and eco-friendly. They reduce human interference to a minimum, allowing a restoration process without harming nature. Moreover, they don't require chemical fertilizers or pesticides, ensuring the utmost protection of nature.   How to Make a Seed Bomb?    Making a seed bomb is easy, it's possible to make one even with the ingredients at home. You will find two ways of making a seed bomb below:    -Water     -Seeds     -Clay (in the dust form) or wastepaper (to protect the seeds)    -Organic fertilizer or appropriate soil for planting    -Mixing cup    -Baking sheet    Cake molds can be used for perfectly shaped seed bombs. If you choose to use wastepaper in your seed bombs, tear it into small pieces. Then, soak them overnight to get clay-like consistency and add the seeds before letting the mixture dry for a day. If you choose to use clay, first mix the seeds with the fertilizer or the soil. Add the clay and mix them up. Keep adding water or soil/fertilizer until the mixture is dense enough to hold its shape. Divide the mixture into nut-size pieces. Dry it for a day. Your seed bombs are ready now! You can use them in any rural area. After the seed bombs get enough water to tear the clay or paper layer protecting the seed, the seeds will germinate.    Follow in Our Footsteps!   The Young Reporters for the Environment quickly got to work after the research. Last but not the least, we had a zoom meeting with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Serdar Köksal from Hacettepe University. We discussed our research and findings with him. He suggested adding banana peel flour for inulin(a natural prebiotic source), oat bran for cellulose, and mycorrhizal fungus spores to the seed bombs in order to increase the activity of soil microorganisms and support plant growth. We successfully prepared our seed bombs by making these additions and left them in the area damaged by the fire that occurred in Kızılcahamam in 2024. We hope to see the results in a few months!        References    https://ecording.org/turkiyede-orman-yanginlari/    https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.849802161912076   https://climatekids.nasa.gov/seed-ball/https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-Seed-B omb/   https://bilimgenc.tubitak.gov.tr/makale/tohum-topu-yapalim    https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/provincial-wildfire-status-update-may-4-2023/    https://cevreselgostergeler.csb.gov.tr/orman-yanginlari-i-85850