Join the NYC Urban Soils Institute and Earth Matter NY for a Free Soils Testing and Soils Microscopy Demonstration at Soil Start Farm on Governors Island this Saturday, August 10!
Bring soil or compost from your home or garden and we'll test it for heavy metals content. Stick around and discover the incredible microbiome of compost and soil using our powerful microscopes and prepared slides. All ages are welcome!
No registration needed - this is first come, first serve.
How it Works:
Choose an area to sample.
For example; a garden bed, bare patch of soil, or a soil pileDetermine how deep to sample
• 0-4 inches: If concerned about contamination exposure
• 0-8 inches: if interested in soil health/contamination in the growing zone of your vegetables, fruits, or flowers
• below 8 inches: if concerned about issues below gardenDetermine type of sample
Put 1 cup of soil into a sealable bag (do not overfill).Prepare the sample and submit
• Remove any non-soil debris from the samples (sticks/rocks)
• Put 1 cup of soil into a sealable bag (do not overfill).
• Label the bag with your last name and identifying details for each sample such as date and location.
• Bring the sample(s) to USI staff at the soils testing workshop. Maximum 3 samples/person.
• After testing, you must take your samples.
Why Test Soil?
Great question! Soils are one of our most important resources, but they can easily become contaminated as a result of legacy industrial activity in urban settings. Common soil contaminants tend to be heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, which can cause negative health effects to folks who work and play with soil.
Fortunately, remediating soil contaminated with heavy metals can be easy, inexpensive and doesn’t require professional services. The tricky part is identifying heavy metal contamination, so we’ll help you with that! Our state-of-the-art handheld pXRF instrument quickly screens soil samples for heavy metals content, and lets you know whether remediation is recommended. Once your soil is tested, Urban Soils Institute’s (USI) experienced environmental scientists will advise you on next steps.
Getting There
Take the subway, bus or drive (although keep in mind that parking is limited in the area and garages can be expensive) to any of the ferry terminals listed below. Please note that you cannot bring your vehicle unto the ferry.
From Manhattan: Ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run daily from the Battery Maritime Building, located at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan. Click here for schedules and tickets.
From Brooklyn: Seasonal ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run Saturdays, Sundays, and Holiday Mondays from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Red Hook/Atlantic Basin from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Click here for schedules and tickets.
NYC Ferry, the City's public ferry service, also serves Governors Island daily year-round, with stops on the Lower East Side, Wall Street, and along the Brooklyn waterfront. Click here for NYC Ferry information, ticketing, and schedules.
Walk or bike to the Soil Start Farm area of Governors Island (map in poster below).