We are pleased to share with you exciting news from the project and some interesting initiatives and events happening in the soil community.
Enjoy the read!
2025 Winter meeting CURIOSOIL CoP
Are you passionate about soil education and innovation? Join us in the CURIOSOIL project’s Community of Practice (CoP) and become a part of a collaborative network dedicated to advancing soil literacy across Europe. This event celebrates the collaboration dedicated to advancing soil literacy across Europe. Engage with experts, educators, and enthusiasts who share your commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of soil health and sustainability. We will present the advances of CURIOSOIL work and engagement opportunities for CoP members.
In the 19th century, colonial soil surveys focused on export crops for European interests, often ignoring local needs and Indigenous expertise in soil fertility and water management. By revisiting these histories, we can value diverse perspectives and ensure soil science benefits from all ways of knowing. #DecolonisingSoil highlights Indigenous knowledge, peasant movements and cultural traditions that connect people to the land.
On 9 September 2025, the CURIOSOIL Community of Practice (CoP) reconvened online for a “back to school” session focused on practical tools, piloting, and how to bring soil to life in classrooms and communities as the new academic year begins. The meeting built on the project’s participatory spirit: share what’s working, surface what’s needed, and co-create the next steps together.
Contribute to the Soil Curiosity Kit, a “Soil Literacy Cookbook” featuring hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity about soil. The kit is adaptable to a wide range of formal, non-formal, and informal education settings, using simple, affordable materials and requiring no specialised or technical knowledge from educators or facilitators.
Coming soon: CURIOSOIL National Workshops on Soil Education
The CURIOSOIL team and partners are launching a series of workshops across Europe (October 2025–April 2026) to co-create policy recommendations for soil education. Bringing together stakeholders from all education levels, the workshops will explore current policies, share effective practices, and develop proposals for integrating soil education into national frameworks. Stay tuned for dates and registration details!
"I am always amazed by the curiosity of children" Mieke Elzenga, Co-President of ECOLISE
Mieke Elzenga, Co-President of ECOLISE, reminds us why hands-on, nature-based learning is so powerful, especially when it comes to sustainability, food and our daily choices. Learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms, it grows in gardens, in questions and in the soil beneath our feet. Video produced and edited by the ESCI - European Science Communication Institute, a partner of the CURIOSOIL project.
Introducing Italy's CoP Leader for CURIOSOIL: Silvia Corna
Silvia Corna is an agroecological educator, youth worker and permaculture designer. Graduated in Natural Resources Management and Intercultural Mediation, she explored the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and agroforestry for land regeneration. Collaborating since 2017 with NGOs and little foundations in the fields of agroecology and social projects, she enjoys facilitating people's connection with the territory and she believes in the transformative power of intercultural and interspecies encounters. In the CURIOSOIL project, she supports the interactions of the Italian Community of Practice.
Introducing Türkiye's CoP Leader for CURIOSOIL: Edwin Clarke
Edwin is a holistic management and regenerative agriculture practitioner and consultant with a deep commitment to restoring ecosystems and empowering communities. Born in Izmir, Türkiye, Edwin pursued his studies in Economics at the University of London, Queen Mary College, before finding his true calling in agroecology and land restoration. With certifications in holistic management, ecological outcome verification (EOV), and regenerative agricultural practices, he has built expertise centered on regenerative farming and ecosystem resilience.
The 1st European Soil Judging Contest in Alcoi has come to a close. Big congratulations to the Portuguese team for taking 2nd place overall with Lemerson Brasileiro, a PhD student from Universidade de Aveiro, proudly representing CURIOSOIL Project!
How can we experience soil beyond science? At the GEN Gathering 2025 in Manas Garden, Hungary, Europe’s largest summer event on ecovillages and regenerative communities, Pedro Pedrosa and Javier Montellano López from Gaia Education together with Abdul Otman from ECOLISE represented CURIOSOIL Project.
Soils are among the largest carbon reservoirs on Earth, regulating exchanges between land and atmosphere. Plant roots store carbon underground, but degradation, tillage, and warming accelerate its release. Maintaining healthy soils through sustainable land and forest management is key to stabilising the climate and sustaining essential ecosystem functions.
World Soil Day contest: Tiny soil detectives on a mission!
In celebration of World Soil Day (WSD) 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), its Global Soil Partnership (GSP), the European Union through its EU Mission, “A Soil Deal for Europe” and the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) are launching the “Tiny soil detectives” contest.
CURIOSOIL brings you the latest #SoilOpportunities, including jobs, events, calls, scholarships and more from the world of soil science and beyond, delivered weekly!
European School Heads Association (ESHA) Conference 2025
Can soil education change how we see the world?
At the ESHA Conference 2025 in Rome, CURIOSOIL Project will host an interactive workshop exploring how soil connects to the biggest questions of our time: Farmer or Factory? Nature or Jobs?
Led by Harry te Riele, expert in societal transitions, the session invites school leaders, educators and sustainability advocates to rethink how soil education can inspire citizenship, critical thinking, and sustainability in schools.
To prepare the first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan, the European Commission is leading an Affordable Housing Dialogue in 2025, gathering evidence, ideas and data from across the EU. A public consultation is open until 17 October 2025, inviting both citizens and experts to contribute.
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