soil lake

Soil is the literal and metaphorical skin of the Earth. It is the thin layer where rock and life intersect to form the basis of our existence. Whether we realize it or not, soils provide services that make life possible for humans from serving as the medium in which we grow food to regulating our climate.But soils are more than just the sum of the services they provide us. Soils do not need to do something for humans in order to warrant our appreciation.

Soils have not captured the imaginations of most people the way they have captured mine. Many see soils simply as the medium in which to grow plants. But for me, they are so much more than that.

My path towards becoming a soil scientist didn’t begin with a rational list of all the reasons why soils are important. Yes, I learned many of the functions that soils provide (from supporting agriculture, to purifying water, to maintaining biodiversity), but I didn’t think to myself

Nice place. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍