Wow it’s been another jam-packed first half of the year for the Society. We continue to achieve so much together in our continued drive to fulfil our updated vision of sustainable soils for people and planet. I’m really excited to share with you our global impact. Here are just a few things to highlight:
New Executive Director
A big warm welcome to our new Executive Director, Andy Morris, who started with us in February. This has marked a new chapter for the Executive Team as we said goodbye to former Executive Officer, Sarah Garry, and Operations and Business Development Manager, Natalie Coles. They have both been pivotal in bringing the Society to where it is now, and we thank them for their insights, drive and dedication. Andy has hit the ground running, it’s been great working with him as he settles into his new role. I’m looking forward to the new initiatives he is setting up to propel BSSS into the next exciting phase. We also welcomed new Society and committee members and Rothamsted Research as a new corporate partner. Thank you so much for your support of the Society – together we are making a difference and delivering on our strategy.
Senate of Canada
At the end of February, I was privileged to give witness testimony on the status of soil health to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry at the Senate of Canada. Alongside other witnesses; Don Lobb (who featured on a recent BSSS webinar) and also Penny Wensley (who featured on our panel session at the IUSS Centennial), we gave key recommendations and observations to the committee. They have since published a report that included our key recommendations to develop an overarching strategy for soil and to support farmers to transition to practices that are beneficial for soil health.
BSAS Conference
I was invited to represent the Society at the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) Conference in Belfast for a president’s session on the role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy. I was quite apprehensive to give a presentation to the UK’s expert animal scientists, but they were so welcoming and we had many discussions on the role of soils in animal science and I learnt a lots about ruminants!
Milestone for our Journals
In March, the European Journal of Soil Science (EJSS) marked it’s 75th anniversary. This fantastic milestone demonstrates the excellent reputation of EJSS for publishing groundbreaking, internationally relevant research in soil science. We are hugely grateful for the work our journals do in furthering the research and understanding of soil science. Our other journal, Soil Use and Management (SUM) is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary later in 2024. I encourage you continue to support our excellent journals by submitting your latest research to EJSS or SUM. Our member survey also highlighted the journals are well valued by our members. Thank you to all members who completed the survey it is really important that we receive your valuable feedback. We will be publishing the findings later in the year and hope to present a summary at the Annual Conference in December.
BSSS Soil Training Courses
In April, we held our Practical Introduction to Soils of Great Britain course at Shuttleworth College. It was great to welcome delegates from all over the UK to develop their soil investigation and description skills, and put them to test in the field. We have further courses planned for the latter half of the year so keep a look out on our website. These courses are part of our long-term strategy in supporting and encouraging the education of soil science, and also ensuring high standards of professional practice for those working with soils. They consistently receive excellent feedback, so do sign up if you haven’t been on one already.
IUSS Centennial
In May, we were delighted to be a part of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) centennial in Florence. Over 1500 delegates attended the event to celebrate this amazing milestone, highlighting how we are building on 100 years of work and commitment to soil. BSSS was embedded in the event, with representatives from the executive and presidential team and our members. BSSS hosted a panel session on ‘Soil health for people and planet: Leveraging policy, integrating governance, exploring collaboration and increasing engagement to build a resilient, sustainable future.’ It was so enjoyable to chair this session on soil policy and governance. It sparked much debate around what we know, how we can learn from others and what is needed to take both science and policy forward to drive further investment in soil.
SB60 Climate Change Conference
Following on from this, we hosted a side event at SB60, the UN Climate Change Conference at in Bonn. This two-week conference in June featured intensive work across a range of issues where progress is needed on the path to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) this November in Baku, Azerbaijan. Essentially setting the agenda for COP29. Our side event presented the opportunity to place soil health and protection firmly on the agenda for future COPs. It also bought this to the attention of delegates, highlighting the vital role they play in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Outdoor events
Whilst it is important for us to engage with policymakers and stakeholders, it is equally important to engage with the general public as well as farmers, land managers – people on the ground who are putting this policy into practice. Attendance at the Groundswell Festival and the Lincolnshire Show enabled us to achieve this and highlight the importance of soil more widely. A big thank you to our members that volunteered at these events as well as Open Farm Sunday.
BSSS Patron
On 9 July, the Executive Team including myself and Executive Director, Andy Morris, visited HRH Duke of Gloucester, the Patron of the British Society of Soil Science. On our visit to Kensington Palace, we provided an update on the Society’s activities, membership and future plans. It is always an honour to speak with the Duke and he has always expressed his support and enthusiasm for the work that we do.
Annual General Meeting
In July, we hosted our Annual General Meeting in Sheffield, during the Natural England Soil Health Conference. It was fantastic to connect with members and the broader soil science community during the day, and to highlight the impact we have made as a Society during our AGM. We approved several resolutions as part of the governance of the Society. The most exciting was to confirm Dr Lizzie Sagoo as the next BSSS President-Elect. Lizzie is a soil scientist at ADAS and has been a BSSS member for many years, currently contributing on our Outreach Committee. We are so delighted and look forward to her joining the presidential team in January.
So what’s coming up next?
A reminder that we have launched registration and abstract submissions for our Annual Conference which will be taking place in Cardiff in December. The overall theme is Sustainable Soils for People and Planet – it would be fantastic to see you all there to hear about the latest developments in soil science.
We will be welcoming a Business Development Manager and an Apprentice Membership Administration Officer, into the executive team at the end of August. We have been in a busy recruitment period to ensure we can continue to deliver our strategy and achieve our vision. This means we have strengthened in certain areas to expand our work and continue to provide support to our members.
Looking ahead we are running two Working with Soil courses,- do join them! We will be presenting and engaging with national and international events such as the Contamination Expo and British Science Festival, and UN Conferences UNFCCC COP29 and UNCCD COP16. Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to updating you again at the end of the year.
