2015: International Year of Soils, February: Soils Support Urban Life

Stephanie Rukowicz

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly established December 5th as World Soil Day and declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. This action by the UN is meant to draw attention to the important role soils play in all of our lives.

For many of us in Philadelphia County, it is easy to forget about where our food comes from, trucked in from farms around the region, brought in by train from across the country, and flown in from exotic countries around the world. This food is grown somewhere, and the health of the soil is closely tied to the health of our food--both the quality and quantity.



Excerpt from FAO's soil infographic

Excerpt from FAO's soil infographic

According to the UN's announcement, "one-third of our soils have already degraded. If the current trend continues, the global amount of arable and productive land per person in 2050 will be a quarter of what it was in 1960. The world will have over 9 billion people in 2050, 2 billion more than today. And food production will have to grow by 60 percent to feed a larger population that will also be eating better."

In addition to the role soils play in feeding us, forests require them to grow, we use them for clothing, fuel and shelter, they play a role in water quality and management, and soils also play a major role in mitigating climate change. This video, put together by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), provides an easy-to-understand overview of the role of soils in our lives.

Here in the United States, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working with the SSSA, and will be highlighting a different theme each month. See the table below for monthly themes. Each month is linked to information on resources and activities for that month's theme.

January - Soils Sustain Life	July - Soils are Living
February - Soils Support Urban Life	August - Soils Support Health
March - Soils Support Agriculture	September - Soils Protect the Natural Environment
April - Soils Clean and Capture Water	October - Soils and the Products We Use
May - Soils Support Buildings/Infrastructure	November - Soils and Climate
June - Soils Support Recreation	December - Soils, Culture, and People

Excerpt from FAO's soil infographic

Lets honor the International Year of Soils by educating ourselves and others about the importance of soils in our lives, and how to preserve and use soils sustainably. What action steps can we take in the our urban environment to help our soils? Here are a few ideas listed by SSSA in their video for February: Soils Support Urban Life:

• Install rain gardens
• Compost food scraps
• Adding finished compost to your soil
• Grow your own vegetables

Interested in learning more? Here are a handful of links to get you started:

• USDA NRCS Soil Health Awareness portal (http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/)
• USDA NRCS's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDZND69Db-WE0d1ITEiuSjQ)
• SSSA's International Year of Soils portal (https://www.soils.org/IYS)
• SSSA is offering a free PDF Coloring & Activity Book as a tool for introducing the importance of soils to school-age children, K-2 grade level (https://www.soils.org/files/iys/iys-colorbook-for-web.pdf)
• U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) IYS portal (http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/en/?utm_source=faohomepage&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=featurebar)
• FAO soil infographic (http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/world-soil-day/campaign-material/infographic/en/)

Pollinator-Friendly Raised Bed at the Free Library's Thomas F. Donatucci Sr. Branch

Stephanie Rukowicz

Thomas F. Donatucci Sr. Free Library Branch at 20th & Shunk.

Nestled in the Girard Estates neighborhood of South Philly, the Thomas F. Donatucci Sr. Free Library Branch boasts a garden open to the public Spring through Fall. The Branch Manager, David Mariscotti, encourages the community to enjoy the grounds in reading books, bringing picnics, or just enjoying the fresh air. As one of his many responsibilities, David works with the Free Library's sole gardener and a few dedicated volunteers to maintain the landscaping. To encourage future generations to tend garden, David connected with Marj Rosenblum and together they generated the idea of a Pollinator-Friendly Garden workshop for children and their families.  

Marj and I worked with David to plan the workshop that took place on May 17th earlier this year. Part 1 featured a presentation on why pollinators are important, how pollination happens, and how to encourage pollinators to visit our gardens. During the presentation, we were pleased to meet a young student, named Sophia, whose school curriculum included work on pollinators! She had much to share with the group on what she was learning in class.

The workshop continued outside with Part 2, where we installed a 4'x8' raised bed, planted with nectar-rich annuals such as zinnia; perennials such as columbine, coneflower, goldenrod; as well as butterfly-specific hosts such as milkweed (Monarch), parsley and dill (Black Swallowtail). Of course this was the group's favorite part, and there was much discussion over who got to plant what.

All hands on deck! Master Gardeners-in-Training Marj and Stephanie work with support from the Children's Librarian to instruct attendees and their guardians how to plant and select placement.

Families were encouraged to check out one of the many resources on pollinators found at the Donatucci Branch, and each child left with a plant to include in their home garden.

A satisfied workshop participant with her plant, joined by her father, and Master Gardener-in-Training Marj.

This small raised bed contributes to the large garden that already existed at the Branch. Among the many trees and plants found on the property there are native oaks, dogwoods, Black-eyed Susan and Purple coneflower. Now that Fall is upon us, we will take advantage of the perfect time of year to transplant in additional native perennials to attract more pollinators and to fill in the gaps where annuals won't return next year.

Pollinator-Friendly raised bed in the Fall. Zinnia, Goldenrod, Cosmos, and Calamintha are currently in bloom.

Pollinator gathering Goldenrod nectar.