How we take care of our land impacts our soil and water. For example, if we use lots of chemicals and fertilizers on land, these substances can leak into the soil and contaminate water sources. On the other hand, if we take great care of our land by planting diverse vegetation and using organic materials, we can support a healthy ecosystem. While it is best to prevent contaminating water and soil to begin with, there are successful ways to remediate soil. Soil remediation is a way of correcting and restoring damaged soil to make it healthy and fertile again. We need healthy soil to ensure biodiversity of plants, support thriving animal populations, and grow healthy food crops. There are many ways we can test our soil to determine if it is fit for growing food. For example, we can test for soil composition, looking for sand, silt, and clay. We can test the pH, alkalinity of soil, nutrients, and we can evaluate the organic material of the soil. These measurements can give us an idea of how healthy our soil is and how viable it is for growing crops and various other plants. Click here to see how you can conduct these soil test experiments at home. In extreme cases, if the soil is polluted with dangerous chemicals, bioremediation can be a great option to restore the soil to a healthy state. RiverLink’s future Karen Cragnolin Park is a site that has undergone several years of bioremediation. As a former junkyard, this land’s soil was heavily polluted. Now, the land has been revitalized and will soon be the perfect riverside spot for a family-friendly park! | |