Ecologist Charlie Crisafulli describes how the ecosystem around Mt. St. Helens is rebuilding itself 30 years after the catastrophic eruption.

Thirty years ago, a violent eruption ripped through the side of Mt. St. Helens in western Oregon. The blast killed 57 people and countless animals, and turned hundreds of miles of forest into barren wasteland. In this podcast, hear from ecologist Charlie Crisafulli on the slow recovery of the Mt. St. Helens ecosystem, and learn how the timing of the eruption actually spared some plant and animal life.

Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Kristine Allington. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/sthelens