García: It a project that we call Prospering Backyards and this is an initiative that is both art, science, community and our objective is to try to find ways in which we can heal the soil.

Broadcaster: The state has confirmed the soil around many homes it has studied is contaminated with lead.

Exide Technologies is located in Vernon and is surrounded by some of the most densely populated residential neighborhoods in L.A. County.

Exide melts and recycles thousands of car batteries every day.

García: They were doing that for more than 30 years.

That means that all the dust that was in the air got into the ground.

And the communities have been impacted by that.

For me was the shock of learning how this is affecting that many families.

Valdovinos: I haven't seen any worms, any insects for many years.

I haven't seen any life back here other than the grass.

I had cats that developed tumors and last year my mom passed away from cancer.

She worked within the Vernon Exide area her whole life.

I have a lot of hope that this is going to help us out.

I don't feel the government cares for us.

We're a community of color.

So, you know, we take all the backburn and all the chemical and all the hits.

Kelley: One of the interesting things that Maru doing with this project is that she's bringing about something that is completely made invisible to us and bringing those up to the surface so we can see them, something that is kind of purposely obfuscated, the contamination of their neighborhoods.

García: The beginning of my work was more into bringing a light to the topic, but then I knew that just talking about a problem wouldn't solve anything.

With Lupe, we're doing community science.

We're testing a method that it's the use of natural elements.

In this case, zeolites, which are minerals that can be used to remediate because they have the capacity to encapsulate lead.

So we applied zeolites in the whole area.

We water after.

Water activates zeolites, so when it's in contact with soil, it will be able to trap the lead.

And also we have another treatment that has the zeolites.

And on top of the zeolites, we applied compost and mulch.

So with that, we want to add another barrier and more diversity through the compost.

So that means a compost is bringing microbes are beneficial for the soil and the mulch is also offering a layer that protects from creating dust again.

And hopefully with the treatments and through time, this communities are going to grow and are going to be more diverse.

So that will be an indication that the soil is being healed.

Tayag: My job is to connect community to research, resources and institutions like the Natural History Museum.

Some community science projects are wholly community led, and then museums like mine and universities and other research institutions do our best to get the labs in, get the soil samples, the eDNA samples where they need to be, that kind of thing.

Community science is really taking off, to the extent that community engagement in big government grants like NSF grants, is a required part of grant proposals now.

Kelley: Doing that kind of practice requires coming in and out of art.

It requires sometimes being a scientist more than an artist.

Sometimes it requires being an activist more than an artist.

Sometimes it requires being an organizer.

Dialoging and connecting with the community.

García: There's a set question that I receive a lot of times, here is the art?

And if I go with a scientist, they will ask, here is the science?

And I always say that both are there.

Because for me it's very important not to separate.

I feel that both areas have the capacity to answer questions.

We play a lot the role of initiators or revolutionaries or activists, sometimes without wanting to be activists or sometimes with the intention.

It depends, but there is always this connection with wanting to change what is happening and wanting to go further.

And I feel that in my case, following the steps of other artists that have challenged the concept of art, that have challenged the idea, hat can artists do?

here should an artist be?

And following that path, too.

Kelley: It's a multifaceted type of labor, and it takes an artist who has a very large and varied tool chest of skill sets to be able to do that kind of work García: With Prospering Backyards, it's not just about the art, but is basically what we are doing here.

The research and the process.

What is important for us.

But also learning about hope.

Just the idea of finding a little worm.

That's hope.

And for me, that's what counts.

Valdovinos: Oh it a little snail!

Woman: Oh!

Let me see, let me see!

Valdovinos: Oh, he was really down there.

Woman: Yeah.

Valdovinos: That awesome.