The United Nations declared 2015 the International Year of Soils!
As part of this global celebration and awareness campaign, the Soil Science Society of America developed a set of 12 videos, centered around SSSA's monthly communications themes. The goal of these videos is to raise public awareness of the value of soils and soil science; visibility of soil scientists in their communities; and, highlight soils.org as the premiere place to find soils information. Share these videos with your colleagues, students, and friends!
January: Soils Sustain Life
This introductory video highlights soil as the foundation of life on land, how soil forms from weathered rock and provides crucial ecosystem services.
View the following pages for supporting information:
Soil Basics | Soil Formation | Soil and People/Soil & the Environment
Suggested Activity: “Soils are Everywhere!”
Guiding questions: What does it mean that soil is the foundation of life on land? How do soils form from weathered rock, and what crucial ecosystem services do they provide to support life on Earth?
February: Soils Support Urban Life
- Urban Gardening
- Importance of soil to urban environment
- Download Video
March: Soils Support Agriculture
- Global food supply
- Nutrients come from soil
- Water for plants/irrigation
- Download Video
April: Soils Clean and Capture Water
- Partitioning of precipitation or irrigation into or across soil
- Physical and biological cleaning
- Green infrastructure for storm water management
- Download Video
May: Soils Support Buildings/Infrastructure
- Houses made of soil
- Engineering connection
- Erosion/mudslides/structural failures
- Download Video
June: Soils Support Recreation
- Soils and enjoying the great outdoors
- Got clean lakes? Thank your soil!
- Good sports need good soil!
- Download Video
July: Soils are Living
- Soils are Alive
- Soils are Diverse and Complex
- Living Soils Serve the World
- Download Video
August: Soils Support Health
- Soil Health means Healthy Food
- Soil Protects Health
- Soil as a Source of Medicine
- Download Video
September: Soils Protect the Natural Environment
- Soils and Healthy Forests
- Soils and the Great Plains
- Soils and Our Coastal Wetlands
- Soils and the Great American Desert
- Soils and our Lakes, Rivers and Streams and Rivers
- Download Video
October: Soils and Products We Use
- Farm to table
- Pottery/adobe
- Make-up
- Download Video
November: Soils and Climate
- C sequestration and greenhouse gases
- Soils and past environments
- Desertification and drought
- Download Video
December: Soils, Culture, and People
- Soils and art & literature
- Religious & spiritual connections to soil
- Soil forensics
- Download Video
