SOILS CHALLENGE BADGE
Soil is essential for life – it provides nutrients, water and minerals to plants and trees, and is home to millions of insects, bacteria and small animals. Without soil, we would not be able to grow any crops or other useful plants, support any livestock, or have materials for building shelter – soil really is a life-giver! Healthy soils also store and filter water, recycle nutrients and help us to deal with the negative effects of climate change by storing large amounts of carbon. But our soils are at risk; negative actions such as pollution and bad agricultural practices leave our soils exposed and damaged. We need healthy soils to support human well-being and a healthy planet.
This is where the Soils Challenge Badge comes in: let it take you on a journey to discover the ground beneath your feet! This booklet is packed with activities to help you learn about soil and how it is formed, the creatures that live in it, and just how important it is in our everyday lives. You will also discover how YOU can play a role in protecting soils for future generations. We hope you will be inspired to take the challenge and celebrate our planet’s soils. Dig in!
Additional Material
- The magical world of soil biodiversity
- 2017 World Soil Day
- 2015 International Year of Soils
- Revised World Soil Charter (2015)
- Guidelines for Soil Description (2006)
- Optimizing soil moisture for plant production
- The importance of soil organic matter - key to drought-resistant soil and sustained food production (2005)
- Soils store and filter water - Improving food security and our resilience to floods and droughts
- Soils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycle
- Soils are the Foundation for Vegetation which is cultivated or managed for feed, fibre, fuel and medicinal products
- Soils and Biodiversity
- Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production
- Soil is a non-renewable resource