On 7 May 2026, the LOESS project brought together over 170 participants in Barcelona for its High-Level Symposium, a landmark event dedicated to strengthening soil health education across Europe. Teachers, students, researchers, policymakers and citizens gathered in person and online to share knowledge and chart the way forward. The programme opened with cross-sector perspectives on soil education, exploring challenges from the viewpoints of governments, universities and schools. LOESS partners showcased key project outcomes and pedagogical resources through an interactive marketplace featuring fourteen booths, alongside contributions from other EU soil initiatives. Afternoon breakout sessions tackled the future of soil learning, from policy impact and university pathways to inspiring younger students. The event also celebrated the cultural dimension of soil through art and music. A high-level round table closed the day, bringing together representatives from the European Commission and several EU Mission Soil projects to discuss the road ahead towards 2030. A milestone event that proved one thing above all: soil health education is no longer a niche concern — it is a European priority. 

Norbert Steinhaus, LOESS project coordinator

LOESS Learning Scenarios now featured in the new Scientix® Collections

Four LOESS learning scenarios have been selected by the Scientix® pedagogical team to be featured in the new Scientix Collections, a curated catalogue of high-quality STEM teaching resources aligned with key European frameworks (DigComp, GreenComp, LifeComp). Included under the Citizen Science Collection (EU Missions 2030 area), the LOESS learning scenarios are now easier to discover and integrate into interdisciplinary STEM planning across Europe. With over 10,000 educators visiting the portal monthly, this significantly expands the reach of LOESS materials.

👉 Explore all LOESS learning scenarios

Educational exhibition “Beneath the Surface: The Secret Life of Soil” — Serbia

Developed by the Centre for the Promotion of Science as part of the LOESS project, this exhibition took place at the Science Club Belgrade between March and April 2026. Free and open to visitors of all ages, the exhibition invited the public to explore soil as a living and dynamic ecosystem, highlighting its role in providing healthy food, clean water, and environmental stability and the urgent need to protect it.

The exhibition welcomed over 1,000 visitors and more than 1,350 schoolchildren, who took part in workshops, guided tours, public lectures, and documentary screenings exploring soil health. The initiative was recognised with the Green Leaf Award, handed out annually in Serbia to organisations championing environmental protection.

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The Soil Demonstration Garden — Poland

The Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) team secured PLN 110,500 from the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management to create an Educational Soil Garden at the Collegium Geographicum in Poznań. The garden serves as a living laboratory where students, children, and local residents can directly explore soil properties and processes, connecting scientific knowledge with real-world environmental stewardship.

Equipped with educational boards, demonstration plots, raised beds, and a vermicompost bin, the garden promotes good practices in soil health and raises public awareness of soil as a priceless, non-renewable resource.

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(c) Viktoria Hofmarcher

SOIL — A Musical Journey into the Living Earth (Austria)

SOIL is an interdisciplinary ensemble project at the intersection of contemporary music, light art, electronic media, and scientific research, with a focus on soil ecology. Born from the Austrian Community of Practice through close collaboration between the ensemble and LOESS partner Suzanne Kapelari (University of Innsbruck), the project creates an immersive artistic and scientific exploration of soil as a living ecosystem. Inspired by sounds recorded with a soil microphone, SOIL aims to raise awareness of soil health and foster new ways of understanding the ecological, cultural, and societal importance of soils.

👉 See the SOIL video

Soil Literacy and Education in Europe. Closing the Gap Between Policy Ambition and Educational Reality

Soil gives us food, clean water, and helps fight climate change — yet most of us know almost nothing about it. A new European report reveals that schools across the continent are failing to teach students about this invisible resource that sustains life as we know it. Lessons barely scratch the surface, teachers feel unprepared, and learning rarely goes beyond the classroom walls. But change is coming: researchers, farmers, educators and communities are joining forces to bring soil back into the spotlight — through outdoor activities, hands-on experiments, and real conversations about our planet's future. Because before we can protect what's under our feet, we need to understand it. It's time to get our hands dirty.

The LOESS project releases new episodes of its podcast European Voices on Soil Health, a journey across more than 16 European countries through local stories, innovative solutions and expert voices on soil health.

Listen now!

🗺️ Explore the LOESS Soil Atlas

Find the right materials for your context and discover inspiring soil education practices [+]

🌱 Educational course available

LOESS has developed a soil health course designed for pre-service biology and environmental education teachers [+]

💡New training workshop

Learn how to turn real-world soil challenges into research questions with the new LOESS self-study online workshop [+]

🎓 Teaching Module for Lecturers

LOESS has developed a flexible four-session module to help lecturers integrate soil education into sustainability teaching [+]