Soil building through education: Why soil affects us all!

Soil building through education: Why soil affects us all!

On February 10, 2025, a panel discussion took place at the University of Vechta as part of the LOESS project. The topic was “Soil-related education in a school context: strategies for sustainable, responsible learning and skills development”. The moderators of the event, Björn Schmidt and Alexander Lanfermann, led a discussion that pointed to the fundamental importance of soils and how education in this context can sensitize the future generation. A fascinating fact mentioned during the discussion is that a teaspoon of soil contains more organisms than there are people on earth, highlighting the importance of soils.

Soils play a central role in many ecological and economic aspects. They not only ensure food production, but also regulate the climate and store water and nutrients. But our soils are increasingly facing threats such as sealing, erosion, pollution and unsustainable use. In order to counteract these problems, greater social awareness and responsible action are required. Education plays a crucial role here, particularly by promoting land-related education.

Soil conservation education initiatives

The discussion highlighted the potential of extracurricular learning spaces to introduce children to the topic of soil. Despite the challenges of directing children's attention to the ground, for example on farms, a holistic approach to learning opens up promising prospects. It is recommended to provide less specific knowledge and instead promote understanding of the importance of soil.

Experiments and projects such as school gardens could significantly support the learning process. Cross-curricular and project-based work was found to be particularly helpful in providing children with a deeper understanding. An example of innovative educational concepts is the “Frei Day”, which enables students to work independently on various topics.

The panel discussion is part of a series of other conversations on important topics in soil conservation education. The next discussion will take place on February 17, 2025 at 6 p.m. and will cover the aspects of soil conservation education at the political and municipal level. A subsequent session on February 24, 2025 at 6 p.m. will focus on digital technologies in land-based education. Those interested have the opportunity to participate online as a live stream is available.

Education for sustainability

The topic of land-based education is not only relevant locally, but is also addressed in national and international contexts. Studies such as those by Christian Wittlich on the effectiveness of extracurricular learning spaces in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) show how important it is to sensitize children and young people to environmental concerns at an early stage. Wittlich's research, which deals with the learning location landscape in Rhineland-Palatinate, underlines the need to strategically plan educational measures and evaluate their effectiveness. The results identify communication structures and action orientation as well as the duration of educational measures as critical factors that influence students' environmental awareness and behavior.

Another example of the commitment to education for sustainable development is the publication by Beatrix Albrecht. Her work, "Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Extracurricular learning places - an important contribution to the transformation of education in Lower Saxony", highlights the relevance of extracurricular learning places and is part of a broader initiative that aims to anchor sustainable awareness in society. The need to promote understanding of soils and their functions is part of this larger educational strategy.

Overall, it is clear that creating a greater awareness of the importance of soils in society and education is essential. Projects and initiatives like those at the University of Vechta are crucial steps towards a more sustainable future.