The IUSS goes to the school
IUSS – FAO – GSP children’s book on soil salinization co-published in 2022
This book is the collection of some of the best entries of a scientific children’s booklet contest on salt-affected soils with the motto “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity”. It followed a regionally balanced approach in order to effectively reach children from all around the world and raise awareness for the urgency of fighting salinisation and sodification processes. “Salty soils adventures” A collection of 10 children´s stories from around the world. 2022. FAO and IUSS.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0530en
(see more details here: http://www.iuss-goes-to-school.org.mx/)
World Soil Day 2021
Poster and children’s booklet contest
In the framework of World Soil Day (WSD) 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) launched a scientific children’s booklet contest and a poster contest on salt-affected soils with the motto “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity”.
Poster contest by kids for kids:
We are inviting children and teens, from ages 5 to 14, living in areas affected by soil salinization, to use their imagination and create a poster for kids that illustrates how soil salinization affects their daily lives.
The competition is divided into the following categories:
Category A | age range between 5-10 years old
Category B | age range between 10-14 years old
The two winning posters (one per each category) will be selected and announced on the FAO WSD and IUSS websites on the 5th December 2021, World Soil Day.
Deadline for submission: 22 November 2021
Read more: http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/poster-contest/en/
Children’s Booklet Contest:
We are inviting anyone who is interested in soil to submit a children’s booklet on the impacts of salinization, its consequences on the livelihood and welfare of the affected populations and ecosystems by affecting food production.
The winner will receive a cash prize of 1 000 USD, second and third prize will receive a cash prize of 500 USD and 250 USD, respectively, from IUSS and FAO’s GSP. The winners will be announced on World Soil Day, 5th December 2021.
Deadline for submission: 22 November 2021
Read more: http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/booklet-contest/en/
IUSS and FAO launched Children’s book
“The magical world of soil biodiversity”
During the Opening Day of the Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity (GSOBI21), ‘Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity’, a science-policy meeting that takes place from 19-22 April 2021, IUSS and FAO launched their children’s book “The magical world of soil biodiversity”. This collection of 10 stories includes the best entries received from a total of 97 books spanning over 75 countries.
In the framework of World Soil Day 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), the educative project “THE IUSS GOES TO THE SCHOOL”, and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) launched a children’s book contest on Soil Biodiversity with the motto “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity”. The book contest on soil biodiversity has given visibility to the importance of soil organisms and raised awareness on the urgency of protecting soil biodiversity. The soil biodiversity book competition highlights the importance of soil organisms and raises awareness of the urgent need to protect soil biodiversity among a young audience (children aged 6-11 years).
Presentation given by Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez, IUSS President 2021-2022: laura_book_presentation.pdf
Discover and download the book: https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4185en
Winners of the IUSS-FAO-GSP Children’s Book Contest on Soil Biodiversity
In the framework of World Soil Day 2020 IUSS, FAO and GSP are pleased to announce the winners of the Children’s Book Contest on Soil Biodiversity:
1st place: ‘The science & spectacle of Soil Life by Roly Poly’, created by JiaJia Hamner (freelance, United States) and Sharada Keats (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, United Kingdom).
Download the book:
2nd place: ‘Soil biodiversity. What’s most important?’ by Katelyn Lutes and Benjamin Ellert (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada).
Download the book:
3rd place: ‘The home of life. I am a living soil’, by Claudio Lucas Capeche, Julia Franco Stuchi, Milena Pessoa Pagliacci, Fabrício de Martino, Alexandre Abrantes Cotta de Mello, Antonio Augusto Bianchi, Maya Stuchi Tedjini, Kelita Carlos Andrade (Embrapa Solos, Brazil).
Download the book:
All the first ten classified and awarded books as well as the mentions of honour can be found at http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/bookcontest/en/
IUSS, FAO and GSP received over 100 books from 60 countries for the contest. Launched in the run-up to WSD2020, the book contest on soil biodiversity gave visibility to the importance of soil organisms and raised awareness on the urgency of protecting soil biodiversity.
Congratulations to the winners and finalists and a big thank you to all participants!
Celebrating World Soil Day 2020, the educative Project ‘THE IUSS GOES TO SCHOOL’
* offers a virtual space to all children around the world inviting them to take care of the soils of their nations: www.iuss-goes-to-school.org.mx #TheSoilIsLife,
* presents the children from Poland with the Book Chrońmy gleby, the Polish version of the Book “Living in the Soil”, which was created in collaboration with soil science societies from Spain and Poland: https://www.secs.com.es/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ChrońmyGleby-Polish-2020.pdf #GlebaToŻycie,
* offers the Book Vermicomposting for schoolchildren to all children speaking Spanish. #TheSoilIsLife,
English: http://edafoeduca.es/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Vermicomposting-Kids-IUSS-SECS-UPV.pdf
Spanish: http://edafoeduca.es/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Vermicompostaje-Escolares-IUSS-SECS-UPV.pdf
* gives to all children speaking English and Spanish the Book ’Soil Erosion’. #TheSoilIsLife,
* gives all children speaking English and Spanish the Book ’Perfilito, a very lucky boy’. #TheSoilIsLife,