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The Kid's Re-generation Detective

You know that synthetic chemicals used in farming or gardening harm the soil by killing microorganisms. Even if you live nowhere near a farm, and you don't have a garden, you can still play your part to save the soil and the microorganisms by learning one word: organic. Organic farming or gardening is growing crops without the use of any synthetic chemicals. Organic farmers and gardeners understand the cycles of nature in soil and try to work microorganisms by using natural farming and gardening methods. If everyone used organic methods to protect and enrich the land, all the soil that our food is grown in could be healthier—and that means all our food could be healthier as well.

Protecting the health of the soil and stopping soil from being harmed is everyone's job. Each of us can do something every day for soil's sake. Each person—no matter what their age—can make a huge difference. Just learning about the soil's health is an action step. Another action step: When you choose foods marked "certified organic," for example, or grow your own food at home without synthetic chemicals, you are saying, "I care about soil health." There are many more ways to say, "I care."

Why not find out what soil is all about? Here are some ways to start investigating.

If you want to see decomposition for yourself, you can make a mini-decomposition chamber. It's very easy to do and a great way to see microorganisms hard at work. Here's what to do:

1. Find a plastic water bottle or bag or any other clear container.
2. Mix a handful of soil with materials such as vegetable scraps, grass clippings, or fruit cores.
3. Close the container and wait a week.
4. After about a week, open the container. What do you see? Do the fruit and vegetable scraps look the same as they did one week ago? How does it smell? What is the texture? Do you see mold?
5.It should be clear that the microorganisms in your container are busy doing what they do best: eating away old matter and changing it—recycling it—into matter that is perfect for going back into the garden!



Find out if the soil around your school is as healthy as possible for the microorganisms and small animals that live in it. Ask your teacher to start an experiment in the classroom comparing soil samples collected around your schoolyard and samples collected from the forest or the park.

1. Look for signs of life in the soil using a magnifying glass and/or a microscope. Do you see differences in the soil samples? Try to explain any differences you may find. For example, ask how often your schoolyard is sprayed with synthetic chemicals to kill weeds and pests.

2. Find out what is in your soil. Go to Testing Soil . Once you have tested your soil samples you can learn the best ways to improve them to keep the soil organisms happy and healthy.

3. Ask your teacher to find how to test soil for soil horizon, soil texture, and pH.


INVESTIGATE: "Does My Community Care About Soil?"

Grab your detective pad and pencil and find out what your community is doing to protect the soil. After you've spoken to members of your community, answer the following questions:

  YES NO
1. Do my friends and family care to know where the chemicals they use around their house and yard go after they are flushed down the drain or poured on the ground?
2. Does my community have a recycling program for glass, plastic, and newspapers?
3. Does my community have a composting site?
4. Does my community have a program for recycling used paint and other harmful chemicals?
5. Do the farmers or gardeners in my community use synthetic chemicals to grow their crops?
6. Do the schools in my community spray chemicals on their ground?
7. Can I buy organic food in my local grocery store or supermarket?
Scoring: Give yourself 5 points for every YES, 0 points for every NO
TOTAL

Score It!
If your total is 35, you live in a great community!

If you got less than 35 your community could use some help and suggestions and you can help. Share the information from the Soil Detective Quiz with your community.

Other places to get ideas:

1. Go to USDA. On this site you can get a U.S. government's chart for rules on how to "Properly Handle Hazardous Household Products" and get ideas for natural (non-toxic) cleaners. Share this information with your friends and family.

2. Start a composting pile in your own backyard! Check out Step 3 for more information.

What are you doing to protect the soil? Have you discovered a way to help our microorganism friends? Tell us about it. We'll select some of the best stories, activities, and tips and post them on our site to inspire other kids like you.