Citizen Soil Project 

The industrious over use of soils on our planet is putting it under significant pressure, threatening its future. The conservation of our soils is often discussed by typical stakeholders such as soil scientists, farmers or environmental activists. However, this is not a science problem, a farming problem or an environmental problem - it’s a human problem, as every person on this planet is responsible for its condition. This research project seeks to use arts-based research methods as a means to better understand the current public connection to soil, as a way to develop design strategies which might mobilise large numbers of the general public to engage in soil conservation. This research was conducted using the “Citizen Soil Studio (CSS)” - an interactive mobile art space. This cultural probe acted as a listening device shedding light on the meaning of soil in people’s lives.  
 

The results from this pilot probe suggested that although the majority of the public held a reverent respect for the soil, it was actually superficial in nature. The cross referencing of the CSS’s results with Ajzen & Fishbein’s (2011) “Theory of Planned Behavior” model revealed that this could be due to people’s lack of opportunities to physically engage with soil. The final part of this writing proposes a method which may address this problem - using design-led strategies to provide individuals with more agency over soil health on a direct level, empowering them to take ownership of soil’s future.