The Story of Soil

Soil is an amazing substance. It is a complex mix of ingredients: minerals, air, water, and organic matter—the countless micro-organisms and the decaying remains of once living things.

Soil is made of life and soil makes life.

To the farmer, soil is where crops grow.

To the engineer, soil is a foundation to build.

To the ecologist, soil supports and connects ecosystems.

To the archaeologist, soil holds clues to past cultures.

To craftspeople, like potters, soil provides clay to make things.

To the soil scientist, soil is all of these things.


Soil has been called "the skin of the earth" because it is the thin outermost layer of the Earth's crust.

Like our own skin, we can't live without soil.

 

                    English | Spanish                                            English | Spanish                                        English | Spanish

      What are people saying about the PSAs?
 

       "I have and continue to teach the basic Soil Science class and others here at the University of Maine for
        nearly three decades.... We started the semester with the new PSAs and that was great. Hopefully what
        we spend the rest of the semester doing is answer the question on the card for the sticker that asks
        "Do you know the story of soil?"" —Ivan Fernandez, PhD, University of Maine

If you would like to receive a broadcast quality dub of these PSAs, please contact us.

How do I share the PSAs?

This national outreach campaign has been produced as part of our organization’s 75th Anniversary to increase awareness of the importance of soils and the soil science profession.

Free "I Heart Soil!" Stickers: Send your request for stickers to tmoeller@soils.org. Please include your name, address, quantity requested, and how you will use them. Due to popularity, we reserve the right to limit requests.