Have you ever thought about the soil beneath us?

Did you know that the rise and fall of civilizations depends on soils, or that there are more living things in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet? We rely on soil for many resources, not least food and water. But soils can take thousands of years to form. And they are fragile. We are damaging it in many ways. If we want to protect our soils, we need to understand them.

Soils are amazing. They’re complex and full of life. And yet few of us give soils a second thought. In this course, I’m going to take you on a journey through the world beneath our feet.

We’ll start by learning about the basics of soil science, what soil is made of, and how soils are formed. We’ll also look at the variety of soils around the world. We’ll find out about why soil is so important and about the life within soils. Finally, we’ll look at threats to soil and why we need to be doing more to protect it. Throughout the course, you’ll have the chance to learn about cutting edge research in soil science taking place here at Lancaster University.

So if you already have an interest in the environment, this course will be perfect for you. You don’t need any specialist expertise or knowledge. And it’s open to students from anywhere in the world. You will get the chance to participate actively by joining discussions, taking part in quizzes, and getting your hands dirty with activities related to the soil where you live. By the end of this course, you will have a basic understanding of soil science and some of the threats to soils. Join us and learn that soil is more interesting than you might think.