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European Network on Soil Awareness
In 2009, the JRC, under the auspices of the European Soil Bureau Network, established a Working Group on "Soil Awareness and Education".
The objective of the working group was to establish an action plan for the development of measures / programmes / initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of soil across European society (i.e. policy makers, general public, universities, schools, industry, etc.)”.
Subsequently, the JRC has integrated the WG within the umbrella of the European Network on Soil Awareness (ENSA) and is the main supporter of the biannual meeting of the network (see below).
From 2017, the ENSA meetings have aimed to support the implementation of the European Soil Partnership (ESP) Pillar 2, which targets soil awareness and education. Consequently, the remit of the Working Group has been broadened to support the ESP. As a result, its membership has been opened to partners of the ESP with an interest in the topic.
This page documents the activities of this nework. It contains also names of physical persons. If anyone objects against having hisd/her name on this page, please let us know at ec-esdac@ec.europa.eu.
6th ENSA - ESP Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands19-20 September 2019
This JRC-European Network on Soil Awareness (ENSA) meeting took place as part of the “Summer of Soil” in Fruittuin Van West Organic Farm, Amsterdam, during September 19-20, 2019. The conference was open to everyone with in interest in raising awareness of soils as well as other interest groups whose role involves an understanding of specific aspects of soil, for example, planners, teachers, and local authorities. The meeting offered the opportunity for exchanging ideas and experiences in raising soil awareness.
Presentations - Day1
- Michael Wilde, Nature & More/EOSTA: Save our Soils Campaign
- Co Molenaar/Margot de Cleen, RijkswaterstaatBodem, Soils in the Netherlands from a policy perspective
- Saskia Keesstra, Wageningen University, Soils and SDGs
Presentations – Day 2
- Willie Towers: “World Congress 2022: An update”
- Anna Krzywoszynska: “The Soil Care Network: creating an interdisciplinary soil community“
- Roey Angel: “TeaTime4Schools”
- Beata Houskova: “Environmental/soil awareness raising methods in Slovakia”
- Christian Steiner: “ELSA - the state of affairs and outlook 2020”
- José Luis Rubio: “Living in the soil”
- Jane Mills: “RECARE project: useful resources on soil threats”
- Julia Kaiser: “UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita, Osnabrück. Raising soil awareness and German-Dutch-Cooperation”
- Francesco Malucelli, Regione Emilia Romagna, “Soil awareness in Italy”
- Arwyn Jones: EC-JRC, Overview of developments in soil policy in EU
5th ENSA -European Soil Partnership (ESP) Pillar 2 Conference - GIVING SOILS A VOICE 2017,Bratislava, Slovakia, 28-29 September 2017
Presentations - Day1
- Beata Houskova (NAFC / Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Bratislava) - welcome
- Arwyn Jones (European Commission Joint Research Centre & Chair European Soil Partnership Pillar 2) - scope
- Nikola Patzel (Chair of IUSS Division 4 WG: Cultural patterns of soil understanding) - "Cultural patterns of soil understanding"
- Tiziano Cattaneo (People4Soil Initiative) - People4Soil
- Jaroslava Sobocka (NAFC / Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Bratislava) - "European Soil Partnership and Soil Policy in Slovakia"
- Malucelli Francesco\ (Regione Emilia Romanga) - "Education to Environmental Sustainability program"
- Frédéric Darboux (INRA) - "Municipal Parks of Nancy"
- Willie Towers (James Hutton Institute) - "Recent Events in Scotland"
- Olaf Duewel (Lower Saxony Min. of Environment) - "Activities in Germany"
- Gabriele Broll (Osnabruck University) - "Soil awareness and the need for communication skills"
- Erika Micheli (Szent Istvan University) - "Communication and education activities"
- Helene Berthold, Ages & Barbara Birli (Umweltbundesamt Austria) - "Ages - Tea Bags" and "Raising Soil Awareness"
- Christian Steiner (Lower Austria) - "Soil Communication and Educational Activities: Lower Austria, Austria, ELSA & European Strategies"
Presentations - Day2
- Pieter Ploeg (Common Soil Project) - "Common Soil"
- Francesca Bampa (Wageningen University) - "LANDMARK2020"
- Beata Houskova (NAFC / Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute) - "Situation in Slovakia"
- Marko Zupan (University Ljubljana) - "SOIL COMUNICATION AND EDUCATIONAL ACTVITIES IN SLOVENIA"
- Gabriele Broll (European Network for Soil Awareness; University of Osnabruck)
- Arwyn Jones (EC-JRC) - "European Soil Partnership Pillar 2"
- Josiane Masson (EC-ENV) - "EU Soil Policy Overview of recent activities and research needs"
- Jane Mills (University of Gloucester) - "Soil Education and Advisory Services"
4th ENSA Conference, 21- 22th October 2015, EXPO Milan & JRC, Italy
The European Network on Soil Awareness held its forth meeting in Milan October 21-22, 2015. The meeting took place directly at the EXPO October 21, 2015. The second part of the conference was at the JRC of the EU in Ispra close to Milan October 22, 2015. The conference wasopen to both soil specialists with interest in raising awareness of soils as well as other interest groups whose role involves an understanding of specific aspects of soil, for example, planners, teachers, and local authorities. The conference offered the opportunity for exchanging ideas and experiences in raising soil awareness.
3rd ENSA Conference, Aberdeen, Scotland, 19-20 September 2013
The European Network on Soil Awareness held its meeting at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen from 19-20 September 2013. The conference was open to both soil specialists with a specific interest in raising awareness of soils as well as other interest groups whose role involves an understanding of specific aspects of soil, for example, planners, education, local authorities and special interest groups. The speakers presentations are available online.
Soil awareness in Europe
- Our most precious resource? (3.5 MB), Anne Glover (Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission)
- Activities of the EC/JRC towards soil awareness (1 MB), Arwyn Jones (Soil action, Joint Research Centre, European Commission)
Soil awareness around the world
- Global Soil Partnership – a global drive for soil awareness? (2 MB), Ronald Vargas (Land and Water Division, FAO)
- Progress on Pillar 2 of the Global Soil Partnership – education and awareness (1 MB), Helaina Black (Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, Global Soil Partnership, FAO)
- Soil awareness at the Global Soil Week 2012 – Experience of a special session (2.2 MB), Francesca Bampa, Luca Montanarella (JRC/EC) and Gabriele Broll (German Soil Association)
- Soil awareness at the Global Soil Week 2013 and beyond (630 KB), Ivonne Lobos Alva (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies)
- The World Soil Museum – an update (1.86 MB), Thomas Caspari (International Soil Reference and Information Centre, the Netherlands)
Activities to raise soil awareness in different European countries
- Summer of Soil in Sweden (7 MB), Pieter Ploeg (Sweden)
- Activities to raise soil awareness in Lower Austria and the SONDAR project (1.4 MB), Christian Steiner (European Land and Soil Alliance, Government Lower Austria)
- Crossing borders for soil awareness – Results of the SONDAR project in the Danube region (5.9 MB), Beata Houskova (Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Slovak Republic)
- Engagement with stakeholders in Scotland (3.2 MB), Willie Towers (James Hutton Institute, Scotland)
- The earth beneath your feet (1.7 MB), Pier Francesco Campi (Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
2nd ENSA Conference, October13-14, 2011, Tulln, Austria
The second meeting of ENSA was held in the Tulln Campus of BOKU (Universität für Bodenkultur Wien), close to Vienna, Austria.
1st European Network on Soil Awareness (ENSA) Conference, September 27-29, 2009, Osnabrück, Germany
The first meeting of ENSA was held in the City of Osnabrück, Germany. As well as presentations of soil awareness raising activities, the meeting included a dedicated viewing of “Dirt! The Movie” and a discussion forum with the Director, Gene Rosow. Participants decided to hold a dedicated meeting on a biannual basis in the future.
First Meeting WG Soil Awareness and Education, Ispra 26 - 27 May 2009
Find attached the minutes of this First Meeting done in Ispra at 26 - 27 May 2009.
Presentations during the meeting
- A. Jones: Public Awareness and Educational Initiatives for Soil in the JRC
- R. Creamer: Soil Awareness & Education: A review from Ireland
- G. Broll: Soil Awareness and Education (Germany)
- O. Düwel: Experiences made in the context of trying to bring the “Soil Resource” into public’s and children's mind and ongoing activities
- S. Hallett: Soil-Net.com A soils educational resource
- B. Housková: SOIL focus - SLOVAKIA
- F. Lobnic: Model for Integrating classroom based Education and E-Learning (Slovenia)
- E. Micheli: Soil Awareness and Education Activities related to the mandate of the WG(Hungary)
- W. Towers Soil awareness and education: some approaches in Scotland
- P.Zdruli: Soil Awareness and Education (Italy)