A living archive
of biochar knowledge.
Research papers, field reports, videos, bibliography, educational resources and curated links — freely shared by Kelpie Wilson and the wider biochar community.
Free Downloads
Kelpie’s collection of practical biochar guides — free to download. Enter your name and email and the download link will be sent straight to your inbox.
Articles & Reports
Technical assessments, field reports and magazine articles spanning Kelpie’s 20+ years working with biochar in forests, farms and municipalities across the US.
Combined Heat and Biochar Technology Assessment for a Composting Operation
A technical evaluation of co-locating biochar production with composting operations — assessing the energy, carbon and economic benefits of combined heat and biochar systems.
Download PDFBiochar for Forest Restoration in the Western United States
Documents the use of portable flame cap kilns for wildfire fuel reduction and soil rehabilitation in western forests — one of the foundational reports in this space.
Download PDFBiochar for Arborists
Published in Tree Care Industry Magazine — a practical introduction to biochar use in urban forestry and arboriculture, written for working tree professionals.
Download PDFLearn to Burn — Make Biochar Not Smoke
Published in Tree Care Industry Magazine — teaches clean burn techniques for on-site biochar production, focusing on smoke reduction and kiln operation for field practitioners.
Download PDFBiochar & Manure CIG Final Report
Final report from a Conservation Innovation Grant project exploring how biochar interacts with livestock manure — covering nitrogen retention, odour reduction and compost quality.
Download PDFWaste to Wisdom: Biochar Life Cycle Analysis Final Report
A comprehensive life cycle assessment of biochar produced from forest residues — part of the USDA-funded Waste to Wisdom project evaluating portable pyrolysis systems.
Download PDFConverting Shelterbelt Biomass to Biochar — NDSU
A North Dakota State University report exploring how agricultural shelterbelt trees can be converted on-site into high-quality biochar.
Download PDFVideos
Kelpie Wilson on biochar production, soil science, forest policy and regenerative agriculture — from live burns and conference talks to podcast interviews. View the full channel →
A Carbon Conservation Corps to Restore Forests with Biochar
Methods and technology for making biochar in the woods, with a proposal for a youth employment programme to restore healthy forest soils at scale.
Biochar Week: On-Site Production Techniques
Kiln setup, feedstock loading, burn management and quenching from start to finish. Essential viewing before your first burn.
Burn with Benefits: Biochar Basics
A thorough introduction to biochar science, production and soil application for farmers and land managers.
Low-Tech Flame Carbonizers: Theory & Applications
Kelpie’s foundational webinar on flame cap kiln technology — pyrolysis science, kiln design and practical on-site applications.
Biochar Gardens & How to Make Biochar
Kelpie’s R-Soil 2024 conference talk — biochar for garden and farm soil improvement with practical home-scale advice.
All-Things-Biochar: Kelpie Wilson Interview
Ring of Fire Kiln, The Biochar Handbook, compost integration, carbon sequestration and the future of biochar in regenerative agriculture.
How a Beginner Can Start Making Biochar Easily
The simplest routes into making your first biochar — from small backyard burns to basic kiln setups.
What Does Biochar Do for the Soil?
How biochar improves water retention, feeds microbial life, sequesters carbon and transforms degraded ground into productive growing soil.
Teaching biochar at every level
The Biochar Handbook and Practical Biochar Course are ideal educational resources for college courses, AP high school programmes and homeschool curricula. Biochar meets all STEAM objectives — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics — through the lens of regenerative land practice.
The Biochar Handbook as a Textbook
Heavily referenced with hundreds of citations, yet written to be engaging and accessible — Kelpie designed the book to work for readers at every level, from home gardeners to university researchers. It is perfect as a core text for soil science, environmental studies, agriculture and forestry programmes.
Order The Biochar Handbook →Practical Biochar Course — For Homeschoolers & Students
20 hours of expert-led video training covering biochar chemistry, kiln design, soil application and ecosystem restoration. Self-paced and accessible to advanced high school and college students.
View the Course →Hands-On Learning with Biochar
Co-authored by Kelpie Wilson and Darlyn Wendlandt — a practical guide to teaching biochar in educational settings, published in Green Teacher Magazine, Fall 2012.
Download PDF →College Dreams Biochar STEAM Camp
A full 3-day camp curriculum for the Enchanted Forest STEAM Camp, July 2020. Includes schedule, biochar basics, fire safety, soil lab activities, math worksheets, video links and journal pages.
Download PDF →The Biochar Handbook — For College Courses
Ideal as a supplementary or core text for soil science, environmental studies, sustainable agriculture and forestry courses. Hundreds of citations make it a rigorous academic resource.
Order from Chelsea Green →Biochar School Programs
An introduction to Kelpie’s school-based biochar education programs — covering the philosophy, approach and curriculum behind bringing biochar science to students of all ages.
Download PDF →Dome School Biochar Project
A project report submitted to the International Biochar Initiative documenting the Dome School’s biochar education program — including student experiments, results and reflections.
Download Doc →Happy Plant Biochar
Developed at the Dome School — students soaked hardwood charcoal in fish emulsion and seaweed, then tested it on plants and worms. Includes the recipe, results and how to run your own experiment.
Download PDF →Dome School Experiment Results
Full results from the Dome School plant growth experiment — comparing three biochar treatments against a control, with worm avoidance tests and student observations.
Download Doc →Parent Letter — Biochar Project
The original parent letter from the 2010 Dome School Biochar Project — explaining the science behind using urine as a biochar activator and inviting families to participate in the experiment.
Download Doc →Biochar in Action
From summer camps to hands-on learning programs — young people making biochar, doing science, and getting their hands dirty.
Results & Reports from Ring of Fire Users
Real-world test results and field reports from organisations using the Ring of Fire Kiln® for forest restoration and biochar production. Data shared openly to advance the field.
Potter Valley Tribe Biochar Report
Summary findings from the Potter Valley Tribe’s Ring of Fire biochar project — fuel load reduction, biochar yield and forest restoration outcomes.
Potter Valley Ring of Fire Biochar Test Results
Laboratory characterisation of biochar from the Potter Valley site — carbon content, pH, surface area and agronomic suitability data.
Have Ring of Fire field data or test results to share? Contact Kelpie — this library grows with the community.
Bibliography
Peer-reviewed papers, government technical reports, book chapters and magazine articles from 2012 to 2024 — spanning wildfire policy, life cycle analysis, soil science and international development.
Wilson, Kelpie. The Biochar Handbook: A Practical Guide to Making and Using Bioactivated Charcoal. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2024. chelseagreen.com · Amazon
Wilson, Kelpie; Bekker, Wihan; Archuleta, James; McAvoy, Darren; Page-Dumroese, Deborah. Mobile biochar production by flame carbonization: Reducing wildfire risk and improving forest resilience. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-439. USDA, Rocky Mountain Research Station. doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-439
Wilson, K. J., Bekker, W., Feher, S. I. Producing, Characterizing and Quantifying Biochar in the Woods Using Portable Flame Cap Kilns. J. Vis. Exp. (203), e65543. jove.com/t/65543
Wilson, K. J. A Carbon Conservation Corps to Restore Forests with Biochar Using Flame Cap Kilns. 2021 ASABE Annual International Virtual Meeting. elibrary.asabe.org
Amonette, J. E., Archuleta, J. G., Fuchs, M. R., Hills, K. M., Yorgey, G. G., Flora, G., … & Wilson, K. Biomass to biochar: Maximizing the carbon value. Washington State University. fs.usda.gov
Puettmann, M., Sahoo, K., Wilson, K., & Oneil, E. Life cycle assessment of biochar produced from forest residues using portable systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 119564. ScienceDirect
Scholz, S. B., Sembres, T., Roberts, K., Whitman, T., Wilson, K., & Lehmann, J. Biochar Systems for Smallholders in Developing Countries. World Bank Publications.
Ma, J., Wilson, K., Zhao, Q., Yorgey, G., & Frear, C. Odor in Commercial Scale Compost: Literature Review and Critical Analysis. Washington State Department of Ecology. WA Ecology
Wilson, Kelpie. Biochar: A Rediscovered Forest Product Generates a New Industry. Western Forester. June/July/August 2013, v.58, n.3.
Wendlandt, Darlyn and Wilson, Kelpie. Hands-On Learning with Biochar. Green Teacher. Fall 2012, n.97.
Useful Links
Organisations, networks, databases and journals that promote and advance biochar science and practice worldwide. Curated by Kelpie Wilson.
Biochar On Site Network
A practitioner network focused on on-site biochar production — connecting farmers, foresters and landowners producing biochar from their own biomass waste.
biocharonsite.org →Southern Rockies Fire Science Network
Research and resources on wildfire fuel treatment and forest restoration, including biochar as a smoke-reduction strategy for prescribed burns and slash management.
southernrockiesfirescience.org →Utah State University Forestry Extension
USU’s practical guide to hazardous fuel reduction using flame cap biochar kilns — ideal for forest managers, landowners and fire-adapted community practitioners.
forestry.usu.edu →US Biochar Initiative
The leading US biochar industry body — co-founded by Kelpie Wilson. Promotes biochar research, policy and market development across North America.
biochar-us.org →International Biochar Initiative
The global voice of the biochar industry — standards development, policy advocacy and a worldwide network of researchers, producers and practitioners.
biochar-international.org →Pyrolist
A comprehensive global directory of biochar producers, equipment suppliers, researchers and consultants — the go-to index for finding biochar professionals and products.
pyrolist.com →The Biochar Journal
An open-access scientific journal dedicated to biochar research — covering soil science, carbon sequestration, production technology and agronomic applications.
biochar-journal.org →Finger Lakes Biochar
A regional biochar producer and educator based in upstate New York — demonstrating farm-scale biochar production and soil application in the northeast US.
fingerlakesbiochar.com →Ready to put this knowledge to work?
Take the Practical Biochar Course, pick up The Biochar Handbook, or order a Ring of Fire Kiln and start building living soil.