Soil is one of our most vital natural resources. In our area, mining has left behind toxic waste which now pollutes our soil. This damages soil health, putting local ecosystems and our health at risk. Naturally occurring bacteria in our soils interact with pollution from mine waste, and might help clean it up.
We asked growers and farmers in the South West to get involved by sending in soil samples. We were looking for anyone who grew their own food or farmed livestock - in a garden, an allotment, a smallholding, or a commercial farm of any scale.
Volunteers will get a simple sampling pack from us for collecting a small amount of soil (with the return post paid for). We'll analyse this in the lab, and they'll be able to see the bacteria in their soil, and what proportion of them are able to bind metal pollution from the soil.
Everyone will have access to the results and volunteers will be able to see how they compare to the whole dataset. They will also receive a beautiful printed photograph of their soil bacteria.
The Dig for Dirt project is led by Dr. Elze Hesse at the University of Exeter and funded by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. The web portal and project running are led by the non-profit organisation Then Try This.
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