Soilsafe Aotearoa helps our gardens grow

Environmental geographer Dr Emma Sharp was awarded a 2022 Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland Celebrating Research Excellence Award for early career researchers for her work on a community science programme for home and school gardens in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

In the video she explains how Soilsafe Aotearoa works. People post a soil sample to the team and it is tested for free to ensure there are no metals or other problems with the soil quality. More than 700 households and more than a dozen schools have benefitted. In return the data about the quality of soils and food production in the past and present will help her to build a picture of future food production.

UPDATE: The Soilsafe programme was awarded $150,000 from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Curious Minds fund to engage young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Soilsafe Kids will enable children in the Northland and Auckland region to increase their knowledge about diverse soil types.