Education & Engagement
“You have to go underground. Under the ground, the social relations of plants and of fungi are at their most active and visible. If you want to see what I call “the city,” a dynamic scene where all kinds of organisms are working together, you can’t stay above ground.”
continuing education
Year-round. From introductory soil science to advanced soil chemistry, USI staff and associates teach certificate and degree courses at the New York Botanical Garden, City University of New York Graduate Center & Brooklyn College, RUDN, and the Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris.
Summer Intensives. USI’s International Summer Field School, offered in partnership with the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) and Russia’s RUDN University, offers practical training in monitoring, modeling, and mapping urban soils and green infrastructure over different climatic and anthropogenic conditions. The program that provides students with first hand field experience examining anthropogenic impact sequences across conventional soil forming factors in climates ranging from sub-arctic to dry steppe. Request an application.
community workshops & public lab
We host monthly workshops at our Swale House headquarters during Governor’s Island open season (May 1 - October 31). Check our calendar for listings and, to register.
Understanding Urban Soils. This workshop covers the fundamentals of soil science and the functions of our soils in the city.
Interpreting Soils. This workshop explores the parameters (soil pH is one of the most important parameters on your soil test report) and mechanisms (that result in capture and cycling of nutrients, capture of energy, conservation of nutrients, energy and water, and resilience to change) of your soils. An understanding of P&Ms will help you understand your soil test results. USI gives special focus to soil contamination and remediation, as well as soil data and ethics.
NYC Urban Soil Survey. This workshop presents an inventory of the soil properties of New York City’s open space, which help identify wetlands and wildlife habitat and assist in the management of the city’s 28,000 acres of parks. Understanding the soils, drainage, runoff, and stream flow in the urban environment is necessary for long-term improvements in water quality. The New York City Urban Soil Survey is an important element in the assessment of our city’s environmental quality, and a source of useful information for making broad-based land use decisions as site suitability for redevelopment, restoration, and remediation remain everyday concerns.
4th Grade EARTH SYSTEMS
USI engages New York City teachers and students through a key partnership with the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation and NYC region non-profit partners in the Every Kid Outdoors program, intended for 4th graders.
USI’s Urban Soils Keepers program includes pre-and post- classroom lessons and field trips to our living lab at Ecology Village in Floyd Bennett Field. Students and teachers learn the basic functions of soils while experiencing a legendary urban landscape. For additional information, contact Tatiana Morin (tatiana@urbansoils.org).