What Every Naturalist Should Know about Soils.

Placeholder text. Please submit abstract by July 27.

Understanding the role of soil in the environment is essential to future sustainability of life.  We report on a comparison of outcomes between adult naturalist classes and school children aged 8 – 15 years involved in the teaching of the fundamentals of soil science.  The results of the knowledge base are compared.   We show that young children aged 8 – 15 years are more aware of soils in their environment than adults studying to be master naturalists.  Finally, we offer a curriculum outline for children and adults which may help to identify the challenges facing forest soils in the eastern U.S.  These challenges include nutrient limitations, harvest impacts on soil quality and site hydrology, social pressure on silviculture forcing poor management practices with increasing pressure to more remote sites, and the conflict of cash flow and long term management needs.