Soils are ubiquitous in our livelihoods, occupations, and routines. With a third of soils degraded globally, and growing demands for their delivery of ecosystem goods and services, engaging the public about the importance of soils is essential to safeguard these indispensable resources for future generations.
Dr Dan Evans, Lecturer in Soil Science at Cranfield University, is excited to launch the UK’s first soils focused ‘Talking Benches’. Talking Benches are traditional outdoor benches with an inbuilt speaker system that can play a sequence of audio tracks and are often installed at sites of public interest or along nature trails to convey information about the local area. In this case, users will be able to go on an intriguing journey to listen and learn about the fascinating soils beneath their feet.
The benches have been purpose made by audio visual interpretation specialists Blackbox-av, with the whole bench designed and built as a system, rather than just adding audio capability to a standard bench bought from a garden centre. The attention to detail is high, with the audio unit being weatherproof and being powered using integrated solar panels. This makes the bench self-sustaining, with no external input needed to keep it working.
Credit: Cranfield University
Over the past few months, two Talking Benches have been installed on the Cranfield University campus, and we are delighted that one of them will be making an appearance at this year’s British Society of Soil Science Annual Conference! Look out for it on the lawn located just outside of the Pavilion building. After the conference, plans are also afoot for the bench to be temporarily installed in Cardiff’s Bute Park, providing an opportunity for the public to become engaged with soils.
In 2025, we are anticipating that the Talking Benches will go on a mini tour around the UK, and we are now looking for BSSS members to contribute to the bench’s audio tracks. In particular, we are keen to hear from anyone who would like to record some fun soil facts for the bench! If you’re interested in the project and would like to take part, please contact Dan Evans on Daniel.L.Evans@cranfield.ac.uk
