Sharpen Your Skills:
Realm of Soil
Practice acknowledging Earth's realm of soil; strive to make it part of being outside. This bead reminds you to get your hands in the soil every now and then to know it better. Make it a habit and feel more connected with Nature.
Sense soil: the smell of its earthy aroma, the feel of its sand, silt, and clay between your fingers and rockiness underfoot, and how its colors change from dry to wet. This bead reminds you to directly experience the Realm of Soil and its stories through your senses.
Focus on soil's science-based stories of its formation, of elemental cycles, and of soil life. This bead will help you keep them in the back of your mind to frame your experiences and see how they fit into Earth's big narratives.
Learn just enough about soil to turn your experiences into interactive discovery with growing insight over time. This bead sets you up for a cycle of sensing, wondering, and learning that originates with basic knowledge of different soil types, nutrient cycles, and decomposers and detritivores. These apps will help:
Web App SoilWeb: a map-based app showing soil units and characteristics from soil surveys across the U.S.
Apple / Android Soil Explorer App: large scale soil order maps and descriptions for the world