Scientists released gophers onto a plot of land two years after the eruption obliterated the landscape—and the results were magical.

In 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens devastated local ecosystems, but an experimental introduction of gophers has demonstrated a long-term positive impact on the soil and plant life. Scientists observed that gophers,

Six years post-experiment, there were 40,000 plants thriving on the gopher plots. The untouched land remained mostly barren.

St. Helens’ mountain recovery shows how gophers and fungi revived barren land. They spurred long-lasting ecological regrowth