How to collect soil memories
Happy World Soil Day! Let's celebrate soils today and everyday.
Soil is one of my most influential teachers. I look for lessons in the soil, and listen closely when I find them.
There is one lesson I keep coming back to again and again: Good things take time to develop. I am able to apply it to so many of the "good things" in my life. One good thing that keeps me going in this uncertain world is the process of learning. Few things bring me greater sense of purpose, but in our distracted modern life, it can be hard to focus on learning for learning sake. The process of learning takes time, practice, patience, and a belief that there is always more to learn about the things we already "know".
Learning about soil requires that we spend time with it. Yes, we also learn about soil through reading and listening to others share their ideas, but there's no substitute for spending time getting to know soils.
It's like reading a book about how to draw versus practicing drawing. Yes, you can learn a lot from a book - you learn technique, language, form, historical perspective, and take in information in ways that you may not consciously realize. But in the end, the only way to get better at drawing is to put pencil to paper and practice.
Observing nature and learning about soils is the same way. You can (and perhaps should) read about soils, ask questions about soils, and open conversations with others about soils. But in the end, your knowledge of soil will grow meaningfully when you spend more time observing the soils around you. Understanding what soil is as an abstract concept is different than knowing soils as a being in nature.
Collecting memories helps us notice soils and prompts us to spend more time intentionally observing them. Noticing soils is the first step toward their conservation. We will only fight to protect the things we love, care about, and have a relationship with. Observing the soils that support our lives doesn't take much, but doing so consistently can change the way we look at the world around us.
There are many ways to collect and share our soil memories. Here are the approaches I use.
Take photos of soils
Photos are ideal for capturing soil memories. Taking a photo of a soil prompts us to look at the soil more closely as we decide which features to include. When I come across a soil I want to capture, I take several types of photos:
- the landscape in which the soil is situated
- the entire soil profile
- close up photos of any notable features
Here's an example of a series of photos I took at Morro Bay State Park earlier this year. Each photo zooms in progressively closer to the soil feature I was most excited about - the lamellae (thin bands of clay in an otherwise sandy soil) covered in bird guano from herons and cormorants nesting above!
You don't need to be an experienced photographer or have any fancy equipment. Just get started taking photos of the soils you come across with whatever camera you have available. I use my phone camera and that's enough for me!
When photographing a soil profile, notice where the shadows are. We can see the features of a soil profile more clearly when it is either in full sun or full shadow. If the profile is in partial shadow, try positioning your body to create extra shadow to cover the profile for a more consistent photo.
Keep a soil field book
A soil field book is a notebook filled with swatches of soil glued to the page alongside notes of your observations. Each soil swatch represents a moment in time and place in nature where you observed that soil. It is a place to store our field observations and collect memories of the soils we encounter on our adventures.
Here's an example of me collecting soil swatches in my field book while teaching a soils and ecology course in Alaska a few years ago.
Creating a soil field book only requires three items that you can bring along on any trip:
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a notebook that is small enough to carry Find a notebook that feels good in your hands; one that you are excited to carry along and fill with soil memories. While any kind of paper will work, it is helpful if your notebook has thicker paper (watercolor paper, for example) to provide a sturdy surface to adhere glue and soil to.
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a pencil or pen to write notes Bring along your favorite pen or pencil. If you are like me, you have many favorites, but for this application, anything will do. If you decide to go with a pencil, remember to bring a sharpener and container to store pencil shavings.
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a gluestick Any gluestick will do. In my experience, the Uhu stick works wonderfully for this application. It is thick, incredibly sticky, and comes in different sizes. You may be able to find it at your local art supply store.
What should you write in your soil field book? Any notes and observations about the soil that you are curious about and want to remember! Here are some ideas:
- date and time collected
- location
- who you are with
- surrounding vegetation and ecosystem type
- observations about the soil that aren't visible from the swatch (rocks, roots, structure, and other notable features)
Create artwork inspired by soil
Creating art is a way of making meaning of the world. Drawing, in particular, is a way of seeing. To be able to draw something, we must spend the time carefully observing. Taking the time to draw a soil elevates soil as something worthy of our time, attention, and artistic energy.
Here's a drawing I made of the lamellae soil I photographed above. This was just a quick pencil sketch to help me remember the moment and capture the most important details.
Share what you observe with others
Once you've observed a soil you are excited about, tell your friends, family, neighbors, the internet, and the people walking by wondering what you are looking at. Tell everyone about the soils you spend time with. One of the best ways to work towards greater soil conservation is to talk about soils more often. You never know which of these conversations will spark curiosity for someone to learn more. Who knows, you may even make a new soil seeking friend!
Collect soil memories responsibly
Remember, it is important to collect soil memories responsibly and safely. Do not disturb soils in sensitive, conservation areas. Be considerate of the land ownership (past and present) and any regulations regarding collections of earth materials. For example, when I am exploring soils in Death Valley National Park, I only take photos (not swatches) of soil features that are naturally exposed.
more ways to wonder of soil
more links for your curiosity
- Curious folks and soil science educators: our soil education resource hub is live again after a brief hiatus! Check out the resources available and consider submitting your own.
- The Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas is one of my favorite soil educational resources. So much to explore and learn about the incredible life that inhabits soils.
- I love writing and sharing my thoughts about soil. You can read all my essays about soil on my website.
Thanks, as always, for making the time to care about soil today.
Take care and stay curious,
Yamina