Studying Soil

I moved through my interest in growing plants, then vegetables, then looking a little more holistically at my backyard with permaculture, to realising that the key thing I wanted to focus on was soil health. My previous composting efforts were dismal, and last winter, I lost all my worms. This time around, I have been successful with my current compost heap and even though we've had a few weeks of overnight temperatures at the 7 and 8 degree Celsius marks, the worms are thriving.

I truly believe the world needs to improve our topsoil for our nutrition, to avoid flooding, and to sequester carbon, and soil science needs to come into the foreground. It might be too late for me to pivot to a career as a soil scientist; it is not easy to go back to tertiary study. Online "at your own pace" study is not accredited, though this might be a way of increasing personal knowledge.

The Brisbane City Council offers a 1.5 day Master Composter course for free, and the content looks pretty good. This is where I will start while I continue to hone in on my skills in practice.

Other study that interests me include a Certificate in Horticulture in order to gain some kind of work and experience in nurseries and similar places, as well as soil microscopy and testing. Meanwhile, I am reading "Soil" by Matthew Evans, which really sells the importance of soil health for the good of humankind and the planet.

Buy this book from World of Books, or better yet, borrow it from your local library!