Red Forest

The Red Forest is a heavily contaminated area near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, where a botched reactor explosion in 1986 released large amounts of radioactive materials. The intense radiation turned the pine trees bright red and they died, creating a dense, reddish forest. Despite the danger, some plants, animals, and fungi have adapted and remain. The Red Forest is now a symbol of nuclear disaster’s lasting environmental impact and is protected as a restricted zone to prevent exposure, offering insights into long-term radiation effects on ecosystems.