From 1–5 December 2025, soil scientists, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and enthusiasts gathered at the King’s House Conference Centre in Manchester for our Early Careers Conference and Annual Conference. We were delighted to welcome around 250 people in total across the week for a rich mix of keynote lectures, interdisciplinary sessions, poster presentations, and field tours, bringing insights from the built environment to natural ecosystems and agricultural landscapes. Both conferences encompassed the theme of Resilient Soils for a Sustainable Future, so discussed topics such as climate adaptation, flood mitigation, land remediation and biodiversity to understand better the resilience of our soils and how we can effective manage them. The conferences also provided members and partners with the opportunity to see the latest research and developments within soil science, and also network with an ever-growing soil science community.
A Rich Programme
At our Annual Conference, we were delighted to welcome 200 delegates, building on our record total from the previous year. As you can see, it was a very rich and diverse programme which included an impact session, 4 discussion panel sessions, 2 keynotes, 28 oral presentations across 5 themes, 7 quickfire presentations, 60 posters with 3 poster sessions, 11 parallel sessions, an art and culture exhibition, the Soiols Use and Management anniversary networking event, 2 scientific and 1 cultural tour, and our EGM where we confirmed our new Early Careers Committee Chair. We also had high profile delegates and speakers such as Tony Juniper CBE (Chair of Natural England), Prof. Pete Smith (delivering the invited talk) and Dr. Nils Broothaerts (from the European Commission).
Integrated Perspectives
The Society is committed to the study of soil in its widest aspects and brings together those in academia, in industry, and all those working with, or with an interest in soils. The conference really is the embodiment of this. The five abstract themes of soils for people, soils for climate, soils for water, soils for life and advances for soils helped delegates to learn and understand more about soil in these wide aspects and allow them to take this into their own research and work. Poster sessions provided emerging researchers and practitioners the chance to share work on contemporary soil challenges, from microbial ecology to landscape-scale soil functions. The conference welcomed delegates from all over the UK and also internationally (from 4 continents), highlighting the importance and influence of the work that was on show. A popular highlight was our art and culture room that featured artworks, films, ceramics, a ‘Singing Compost’ set up and VR headsets.
Gala Dinner
At the end of the first day, we organised a Gala Dinner at Manchester Hall, where we were treated to music from musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music. We had 70 delegates at the event which featured a drinks reception and then a 3 course meal in the Goulbourne Suite, intertwined with Christmas and Manchester-themed music. We welcomed three guest speakers, all from our art and culture room. Daro Montag set the scene for the evening and explained about his work with Rothamsted and the Broadbalk archive. Later on, Karolina Trdlicova and Emma McKenna highlighted their social science projects and how scientists can engage the general public. The evening was lead by Prof. Paul Hallett and we presented our Outstanding Society Contribution Award or OSCA to Dr. Danni Robb for all her work for our Early Career members.
Scientific Tours
On Friday 4 December, we went on our scientific and cultural tours. The main scientific tour took place at Bold Moss in St Helens (part of the Mersey Forest) where delegates learnt about the soil management initiatives on the site. The tour was led by Professor John Handley, a peatland and habitat specialist, who shared his expertise on how healthy soils support biodiversity, store carbon and contribute to climate resilience. The second tour was at Manchester City Stadium where delegates got an exclusive look on the pitch from the head groundsman at the club, whilst also giving delegates a closer look at the state of the art equipment and seeing how it all works.
Outreach and Engagement
A key theme from both conferences was the social sciences element and how members can translate their science into something that the public can engage with. It was fascinating to see how art and culture could also fit into this space and was a different angle for people to consider. Prior to the conference, we were pleased to visit a local school in Manchester to provide an outreach session for Year 3 and 4 classes as part of their soils and rocks element of their curriculum. Lead by Dr. Lizzie Sagoo and Dr. Marta Cattin, we were able to engage the children by getting their hands dirty and learning about the importance of soil. The event was an opportunity to use one of our loan boxes and highlight the experiments that are featured.
Exhibitors and Sponsors
We had 3 headline sponsors, one of which was our journal, Soil Use and Management, that was celebrating their 40th anniversary. We had 14 exhibitors, several of which also provided their own CPD parallel sessions which really enhanced our programme and was well received by the delegates. Thank you to all our partners and sponsors for supporting the event and providing further engagement for the delegates. It was great to be showcasing exclusive sessions at the conference such as the LandIS Open Access National Soils Portal Launch which was an important industry update for stakeholders and members alike.
Supporting Early Career Members
The start of the week featured an engaging Early Careers event with workshops and presentations to aid the development and learning of 100 Early Careers members. Sessions on Effective Communication, Soil Classification and Description, as well as Career Pathways in Soil Science equipped many aspiring soil academics and practitioners with the skills and advice needed to thrive in the industry.
Soils are increasingly recognised as foundational for global sustainability. With mounting policy focus on land use and soil protection, the BSSS Annual Conference provided a vital forum to share research, build partnerships, and inspire actionable solutions across sectors.
Researchers left with fresh ideas on:
- strengthening soil health monitoring,
- integrating soil data into environmental decision-making,
- and applying interdisciplinary approaches to complex soil issues.
Whether you’re a soil scientist or new to the Society, the conference reaffirmed a simple truth: healthy soils are indispensable for a resilient and sustainable future.
