2015 - International Year of Soils

The United Nations have declared 2015 the International Year of Soils.

The specific objectives of the IYS 2015 are to:

• Raise full awareness among civil society and decision makers about the profound importance of soil for human life;
• Educate the public about the crucial role soil plays in food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, essential ecosystem services, poverty alleviation and sustainable development;
• Support effective policies and actions for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources;
• Promote investment in sustainable soil management activities to develop and maintain healthy soils for different land users and population groups;
• Strengthen initiatives in connection with the SDG process (Sustainable Development Goals) and Post-2015 agenda;
• Advocate for rapid capacity enhancement for soil information collection and monitoring at all levels (global, regional and national).

For more information check out the International Year of Soils IYS15 website.

What is the Earthworm Society of Britain doing in 2015 to celebrate the International Year of Soils?

Our main focus will be to promote the importance of soil biodiversity, particularly earthworms, in maintaining healthy soils.

• We are running 3 two-day field meetings and 2 one-day identification course to train up new earthworm recorders.  In the UK we have very little distribution information about our native earthworms so it is important that we train up recorders who can help us build species atlases for these under-recorded organisms.
• We are contacting researchers, SNCOs and other recording/conservation organisations to try and collate records of earthworms that have not already been added to the national database.
• We are conducting several talks and attending Big Nature Day at the Natural History Museum to talk to general public about earthworms and explain how everyone can do their part in 2015.
• We will be re-launching our Earthworm Compost Survey. It is very quick and easy to complete so anyone with a compost heap or bin can do it.
• We will be spreading the word through Facebook and promoting other soil invertebrates recording societies and organisation

Please think about you can do to help our soils in 2015!