UK Soils Awareness Week 2022

10 - 16 October 2022 | #uksaw

“Of all the environmental issues, soil is the most misunderstood and the most neglected. This is absurd, given its vital importance - for food, water, carbon and indeed for all life on earth! I want people to feel fascinated by soil - but also curious, inspired - and yes, even concerned. Only when soil is established at the top table of public consciousness where it belongs will we start to start to see change.”

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Celebrity Chef and Campaigner

Do you think you know your soils? What they are made of, how many different types there are and how much life there is to be found in them?

More importantly – do you know how important soils are – for food, clothes, biodiversity, housing and antibiotics – for storing water and for storing carbon?

And finally, do you know the risks our soils are currently facing – from erosion, compaction, sealing, contamination and organic matter loss?

The first ever UK Soils Awareness Week aimed to answer these questions and more. It was built around 3 eye-catching, interactive and downloadable elements designed to inform and inspire curiosity about soils, which are all still available below.

Whether you are a gardener, farmer, window-box owner or just want to find out more, we launched UK Soil Awareness Week to open your eyes to the wonders of soil, to help you understand them, appreciate them - and do something about them! We think it was great success.

Although the first UK Soil Awareness Week has already happened, it's never too late to discover soils. So go on – get interested, get informed and most of all get your hands dirty!

Soils Quiz

Are you soil-literate? Try your hand at our quiz, featuring fun, informative and thought-provoking questions about the scientific, agricultural, cultural and environmental aspects of soil.

Go to Quiz

Soils Lexicon

Use our handy guide to learn some of the critical terminology you need at your fingertips to understand and explain soil.

Go to Lexicon

Take Action: Top Tips for Healthy Soils

Whether you live in a town, village or the countryside with a farm, a garden or just a window box to look after, there are lots of things you can do to improve the soil, either directly or indirectly.

Go to Top Tips

Press enquiries and resources

Follow-up

Prof. Bridget Emmett (Soil Scientist at UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and Founding Member of uksoils) was interviewed about UK Soils Awareness Week on the BBC's World Business Report TV programme (BBC World).

Funding support

UK Soil Awareness Week 2022 was funded jointly by the Sustainable Soils Alliance, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology's UK-SCAPE project, and the Emmett family in memory of Robert Emmett who was a supporter of women in science and engineering and a keen soil improver and composter.

The community hub for all things soil

uksoils is a consortium of scientific, campaigning and awareness raising organisations, all with a specialist knowledge of soil health, founded by UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Sustainable Soils Alliance, Earthwatch and University of Sheffield.