BioMedia
Create Soil Line Art
and learn about the soil and land around you.
Art + Biology Flash Collab: Soil Art
Isis Hack, Ghalya Lherisson, Jessica Reef in collaboration with Lydia Jennings
Dr. Lydia Jennings, the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona
Lydia grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Tewa lands) and is Huichol (Wixáritari) and Pascua Yaqui (Yoeme). Lydia earned her Bachelors of Science from California State University, Monterey Bay in Environmental Science, Technology and Policy. Lydia now resides in Tucson, Arizona (O’odham & Yaqui lands) where she is studying at the University of Arizona in the Department of Environmental Sciences, with a minor in American Indian Policy. Her research interests are in soil health, environmental remediation, Indigenous science, mining policy, and environmental data ownership by tribal nations. Lydia is a 2014 University of Arizona NIEHS Superfund Program trainee, a 2015 recipient of National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a 2019 American Geophysical Union “Voices for Science” Fellow, and a current Native Nations Institute Indigenous Data Sovereignty Doctoral Scholar. Website: nativesoilnerd.com
"Soils are different all around the world-their color, their chemistry, their composition, how they were formed —
it's really quite amazing how diverse they can be (like us!). This diversity also impacts the different plants that are able to grow in those soils and climates. Reading a soil profile is like reading a book - the author is Mother Earth and she is telling you a story of thousands of years, of what she experienced, and how she was formed. She speaks to us when we take the time to look and listen. She takes care of us as much as we take care of her, which is why it is important that we be good land stewards, as those who came before us have been. Soils are vitally important to our lives. The soil is an important part in the circle of Life. We are so fortunate to be her stewards and use our precious time here to nurture things that die into new life. Essentially, soil is both the womb and the grave of all life on Earth."
"The cycling of minerals that happens in the soil is helped by water and soil microbes. Bacteria, fungi, and even some viruses are like secret teams that help make growth happen. They also influence which plants and insects can survive in that soil, which scientists today are still learning to understand. The soil bacteria can survive the most extreme environments, and are essential to us in helping grow our food, or decompose it so that we are not swimming in trash."
Soil Web is an app developed by the California Soil Resource Lab at UC Davis and UC-ANR in collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Explore USDA-NCSS soil survey data for locations throughout most of the U.S. and learn about the soils beneath your feet (or in your project), their name, and even what the soil profile looks like!
As you collect soils, check out these two resources to learn
about the soils and lands we stand on :
"Indigenous people in the Americas have existed since time immemorial and predate the founding of the United States. Native Land maps are constantly being refined by user input and Western maps of Indigenous nations are very often inherently colonial, in that they delegate power according to imposed borders that don’t really exist in many nations throughout history. Native Land is a resource for people to start thinking about the past, present and future of Indigenous nations in their areas. It's a helpful tool to begin learning, but the best resource is from the community themselves, and I always google places to learn about other Nations that might be in an area, and are not included on the Native Land site."
Native Land is an introductory tool to become familiar with the traditional land stewards of your community. Indigenous communities have always managed the lands (and soils) we now occupy. By learning whose lands we are on, we can begin to learn the traditional Indigenous names for the lands we are on and why these places are unique. Learn how these Nations take care of these places, and how we can learn to be better land stewards from these Nations' multi-generational knowledge. Zoom into your location, and learn what Nations are present in your area. As you zoom in, the Nations in your area will appear in blue hyperlinks that connect you to Tribal Nation websites. Toggle the menu to show the languages and treaties associated with your area to further learn about the Nations and history of your location.