Newsletter #14 | July 2026

This issue of the SoilHood newsletter brings you updates from the NBSOIL Project and the wider soil universe! Get all the latest from the Academy, Tools, Publications, Marketplace, Knowledge Base, upcoming events and so much more!

So sit back, relax, and join us as we explore the fascinating world beneath our feet!

NBSOIL Updates

Latest news and developments from the NBSOIL project and partners

NBSOIL Consortium Gathered in Poland

The NBSOIL partners gathered in Poland for the 5th General Assembly. The meeting was a great occasion to reconnect with partners in this final phase of the project, sharing updates and discussing upcoming events, project tools, and the NBSOIL Academy.

The meeting was hosted by our Polish partner CDR (Agricultural Advisory Centre in Brwinów), which organised a field trip to the Warsaw University Library, where landscape architect Jan Łukaszkiewicz gave an inspiring lecture on blue-green infrastructure and biodiversity in Warsaw. We also explored the library's award-winning building and its iconic rooftop gardens, a great example of nature-based solutions and how architecture and nature can coexist.

A huge thank you to Leszek Żukowski and the entire CDR team for their warm hospitality and excellent organisation. Next stop: the SOLO Conference in Coimbra, Portugal, this September! 

NBSOIL to Join the Soils for Europe Conference in Coimbra, Portugal (7-11 September)

The NBSOIL Project has joined the organising team of the Soils for Europe Conference, taking place from 7–11 September 2026 in Coimbra, Portugal. NBSOIL partners will present the project's latest tools and developments.

Led by the SOLO Project, the conference is co-organised by several EU Mission Soil projects, including CURIOSOIL, SOIL TRIBES, SPADES and BENCHMARKS. The programme will explore the objectives of the EU Soil Mission, with a particular focus on Soil Health Living Labs and collaboration across projects.

NBSOIL hit 5,000 followers on LinkedIn

We're thrilled that NBSOIL's LinkedIn channel has just reached 5,000 followers! This reflects growing interest in soil health and the nature-based solutions our partners are advancing across Europe. Thank you for helping us spread the word about healthy soils.

Not following us yet? Join our LinkedIn community!

Mycorrhizae: How to promote them and what are their agronomic benefits?

In this new webinar, hosted by our partner Centre National d'Agroécologie (CNA) as part of NBSOIL, François Hirissou, an agronomist specialising in living soils, explores the practical benefits of mycorrhizae for soil health and agricultural systems. The session, moderated by Pauline Veuille, dives deep into how mycorrhizal fungi can be encouraged in the field and what the agronomic payoff is.

NBSOIL Academy Final Projects Showcase | Soil Association

This webinar showcased novel research into nature-based solutions, conducted by students of the NBSOIL Academy, and explored how these solutions can be deployed to tackle soil health challenges. During this online event, participants heard from NBSOIL Academy leaders and attended four student final project presentations from Italy, Estonia, Sweden, and France.

Explore the New NBSOIL Video Library

Discover the new video section on the NBSOIL website, featuring project videos, Academy module content and technical videos. Explore the latest Academy resources and gain practical insights from experts and project activities.

NBSOIL Tools - GIS Tool

Want to monitor your crops in real time using satellite data?

The NBSOIL GIS Tool gives users easy, real-time access to crop information through a user-friendly platform. By using time series of satellite images, it helps monitor crop performance, assess within-field variability, and evaluate strategies for water and nutrient management. Developed by NBSOIL partner AgriSat, the system consists of both a web platform and a mobile app.

NBSOIL at the EUROBIOTECH 2026 Congress

The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in Poland (IUNG), coordinating partner of NBSOIL, took part in EUROBIOTECH 2026 in Kraków, presenting the project's work on nature-based solutions for soil health and sustainable land management. NBSOIL's presence highlighted its role in shaping forward-looking soil management strategies and connecting science, practice, and policy.

NBSOIL Publications

Advances in Remote Sensing for Monitoring Soil Conditions In Forest Ecosystems

An open-access review article, co-authored by NBSOIL partners Rafał Wawer alongside Katarzyna Kubiak, Marcin Spiralski, Joao Pompeu, and Vincent Levavasseur, explores how remote sensing technologies, from satellite-based radiometry to UAV-enabled LiDAR and NIR spectroscopy, are transforming how we monitor soil moisture, nutrients, and degradation in forest ecosystems. The article also looks at key challenges, from canopy interference to data validation, and how machine learning is helping to overcome them.

NBSOIL Knowledge Base

Green and blue infrastructures are a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas designed to deliver ecosystem services. Together, they improve environmental conditions in cities while supporting the green economy and climate adaptation.

NBSOIL Community Digest 

Explore the latest updates, courses, calls, events from the NBSOIL Community and beyond on a new monthly series.

Beyond NBSOIL

Publications, news, and more on soil health beyond NBSOIL

PUBLICATION: Effective Storytelling for Nature-based Solutions

This publication explains why a clearly communicated narrative is essential and guides readers through the process of creating one. It draws on examples from Connecting Nature and experiences of illustrating a complex framework to demonstrate how to tell a compelling story. The aim is to guide and inspire others to do the same.

Upcoming Events

Discover key events on soil on our agenda

Join farmers and advisors on 12 August at the Fens for a practical, hands-on look at soil health approaches, in an event co-organised by our partners Soil Association.

SOLU-BIOD and NetworkNature EU are hosting France's first international congress on Nature-based Solutions, 3–6 November 2026 at Sorbonne University, Paris.

NBSOIL Glossary

A quick reference to essential terms in soil health

An integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems.