- Platform
- FutureLearn
- Provider
- University of Dundee
- Effort
- 4 hours/week
- Length
- 4 weeks
- Language
- English
- Credentials
- PDF Certificate of Achievement
- Course Link
Overview
Become a citizen scientist and help improve your soil and the environment
Where can you find all sorts of useful and important information about your environment? You might be surprised to know it’s beneath your feet, in the soil. On this course you will discover interesting things about your own soil and become part of the new GROW Citizen Observatory European-wide community. You will collaborate with other growers and scientists to discover the impact global soil practices have on major issues like the environment and food growing.
Now is the time to make a difference, join us, improve your soil and become a citizen scientist!
This course has been created for anyone interested in the environment. You don’t need any special experience but it might be of interest to small farmers, community and urban growers, gardeners, land managers and allotment growers, and teachers in environment-related subjects.
As part of the course you will have the opportunity to join the new GROW Citizen Observatory and learn how take measurements of different aspects of growing sites and soil. If you do not have access to a garden or growing site, you are encouraged to identify a plot of land (it does not have to be big) in which you can carry out the activities, this could be your local community garden or farm, or maybe a neighbours’ garden who might be interested in learning more about soil with you.
You won’t require any special equipment for this course. For some of the activities you will need easily available tools such as glass jars or garden poles. All the tools required will be detailed in the relevant sections of the course.
Taught by
Dr Naomi van der Velden, Dr Drew Hemment, Gerid Hager and Blair McKenzie
Become a citizen scientist and help improve your soil and the environment
Where can you find all sorts of useful and important information about your environment? You might be surprised to know it’s beneath your feet, in the soil. On this course you will discover interesting things about your own soil and become part of the new GROW Citizen Observatory European-wide community. You will collaborate with other growers and scientists to discover the impact global soil practices have on major issues like the environment and food growing.
Now is the time to make a difference, join us, improve your soil and become a citizen scientist!
This course has been created for anyone interested in the environment. You don’t need any special experience but it might be of interest to small farmers, community and urban growers, gardeners, land managers and allotment growers, and teachers in environment-related subjects.
As part of the course you will have the opportunity to join the new GROW Citizen Observatory and learn how take measurements of different aspects of growing sites and soil. If you do not have access to a garden or growing site, you are encouraged to identify a plot of land (it does not have to be big) in which you can carry out the activities, this could be your local community garden or farm, or maybe a neighbours’ garden who might be interested in learning more about soil with you.
You won’t require any special equipment for this course. For some of the activities you will need easily available tools such as glass jars or garden poles. All the tools required will be detailed in the relevant sections of the course.
What topics will you cover?
- Citizen Science and Fieldwork
- Soils, Growing Sites and Plant Health
- Climate, Temperature and Moisture
- Landscape Representivity and Cover
- Soil Components
- Global Challenges for Soil
- Regenerative Techniques
- Landscape Ecosystems
- The GROW Observatory
Taught by
Dr Naomi van der Velden, Dr Drew Hemment, Gerid Hager and Blair McKenzie