In support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ (FAO) World Soil Day, the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) organised a number of activities to support and engage the public on the importance of soil:
- A new public engagement grant which will support members to undertake activities to spread the word about soil. The maximum £250 grant will support members’ outreach activities such as online activities and factsheets, or participation in festivals and events (Covid-19 dependent)
- The launch of the film #Grounded, promoting the value and importance of soil to the world’s health, environment and the economy.
- The launch of a new BSSS website
- Support for Soil Voices, an arts project by Jude Allen and Isla Robertson that is linked to the cultural programme of the World Congress of Soil Science 2022. They are creating soil stories and narratives to tell the importance of soil and discover the connection people have with soil
- Dr Jack Hannam appeared on Countryfile in the episode Plant Britain, highlighting why soil is so important in the fight against climate change
- The BSSS Annual Conference took place on Friday 4 December
- At the conference, Bridgett Emmett from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology launched uksoils; an initiative which BSSS has also committed to support. UK Soils is a new partnership of organisations which work within the soil science sphere. It is an ambitious new initiative that aims to kickstart a nationwide appreciation and understanding of the economic, societal and ecological importance of soil health to support action and research.
For further information on BSSS or any of the projects listed above, please contact admin@soils.org.uk.
