The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) was pleased to deliver a specialist soil classification training course in March 2026 for organisations involved in the England Ecosystem Survey (EES). Requested by Jacobs to support its coordination and delivery of the surveys on behalf of Natural England, the course helped strengthen the specialist skills needed to undertake one of the UK’s most significant environmental monitoring programmes.
The course was organised and delivered by BSSS Honorary Members and Working with Soil tutors, Dick Thompson and John Hollis. Many of the delegates were BSSS members or worked for organisations supporting the survey, highlighting the important role that soil scientists continue to play in delivering nationally significant environmental projects.
We recognise the importance of education and training quality and availability to soil science as a profession. Two key aspects of the long-term strategy of the BSSS are supporting and encouraging the education of soil science, and ensuring high standards of professional practice for those working with soils. We were pleased to be delivering on these aspects as we look to ensure a sufficient skills base in the industry to deliver sustainable soil management, and also achieve our vision to ensure sustainable soils for people and planet.
About the England Ecosystem Survey
The England Ecosystem Survey is a project delivered by Natural England with the goal of delivering a comprehensive and up to date understanding of the condition of England’s terrestrial environment and natural capital assets. To achieve this, the survey is collecting data on attributes of extent, condition and connectivity relating to habitats, vegetation and landscape features and landscape character. It is also collecting data on soil physical and chemical properties and soil and water biota eDNA.
This is the largest field survey ever undertaken in the UK. Working at thousands of sites on a five-year cycle, surveyors are collecting information on soils, vegetation, and landscape change across the country. The results will allow Natural England to make national-scale assessments on the state of these vital resources, and their ability to keep underpinning ecosystem services like food production and biodiversity.
England Ecosystem Survey (EES) is part of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme (NCEA); a multi-partner programme led by Defra. EES and other projects in the NCEA have been created to provide systematic and robust evidence that supports policy making, including the UK Governments 25 Year Environment Plan.
To learn more about the survey, visit: https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5610689568440320
About the course
Jacobs commissioned the BSSS to deliver specialist training in soil classification to series level to support its coordination and delivery of the England Ecosystem Survey on behalf of Natural England and Defra. Across the sector, there is a limited pool of surveyors with the knowledge and experience required to classify soils to this level of detail using the Avery system. The training formed part of a wider effort to help strengthen and retain these specialist skills within the industry.
Delivered over two days, the course was designed to help improve field soil description and identification skills. It included presentations, practical sessions on soil description techniques, and field visits to demonstrate a range of soil types and hone the delegates’ profile description skills. The course took some of foundational elements delivered on the BSSS Working with Soil training courses and provided further detail in certain areas.
Twelve surveyors attended the training, including seven from Jacobs and five from its supply chain organisations supporting the survey. The training consisted of one day’s classroom learning at Cranfield University and one day in the field at specially selected sites around Bedfordshire. Delegates benefited from the extensive experience and expertise of trainers, Dick and John, gaining practical experience in applying soil classification methods with confidence and consistency..
BSSS would like to thank Dick and John for leading the course, Cranfield University and other partners who supported with training venues, and also the delegates for their enthusiasm and engagement throughout the course.
Comments from delegates
“The course offered by Dick Thompson and John Hollis is one of a kind. They tutors are custodians of knowledge and skills developed over the larger part of 20th century. It has been great to see that knowledge kept alive and strongly resonating with the attendees of a wide range of interests and experience in soil survey and soil science. Soil Classification of England and Wales is built on this knowledge. In some way, the Avery’s system of soil classification was ahead of its time. With the advances in precision agriculture, data science, and analytical methods, giving us an order of magnitude more soil data than a few decades ago, there is a need for a more precise approach to the studied subjects – this is where the soil classification system can make a difference. How applicable to real life, the specific conditions of a field or even part of a field, the agronomic recommendations are, depends on ability to recognise and classify inherent properties of the soil that interact with land management, changing climate and hydrology. It is no longer enough to only look at the texture of top 30 cm of the soil to draw sound conclusions from a study or a monitoring programme – context is everything. In my work, the unprecedented resolution of the England Ecosystem Survey requires very detailed context of the soil type where vegetation and soil properties are recorded. It is essential for effective change detection to group soils, not only into basic few units, but to be more specific about them. The course that Dick and John delivered with the bespoke handbook, desk-based exercises, and the field component, topped by their expert advice, demystified the classification to soil subgroups and series, and showed me how to confidently do it in practice. The delivery of the course contents has cut through complicated guidance and brought it to the current requirements and ways of working. It will provide a strong foundation for improvement in quality of the national environmental monitoring data we collect in England Ecosystem Survey and will greatly enhance its utility. I would recommend the course to all soil scientists who use soil classification in their work to be precise about the inherent nature and functioning of the soils they work with.”
Jakub Olewski, Senior Specialist at Natural England
“The BSSS provided an excellent course that is proving to be of significant benefit to our delivery of soil classification surveys for Natural England, helping us to ensure we provide high-quality, accurate data for the largest field survey ever undertaken in the UK. The opportunity to learn from John and Dick’s first-hand experience was invaluable. We share the BSSS’s ambitions to upskill the next generation of soil scientists and help retain key specialist knowledge and skills within the industry.”
Chris Cantle, Soil Science Capability Lead at Jacobs
To find out more about the British Society of Soil Science and the Working with Soil training portfolio, visit: https://soils.org.uk/education/soil-training/
