If you are a teacher, parent, mentor, or just a soil lover, get your hands on The Soil Book – the first in a series of colourful kids’ books by Life Rocks – a group of health experts, geologists, children’s health advocates – and CEO Asher Cloran who are reshaping the terrain of early education.
“…it’s really about the life in the soil, from the microorganisms up to the macro-organisms,” Asher says of his vision in writing the book.
The big, bright interactive soil book helps young children get naturally curious about the boring “brown stuff” they otherwise miss looking down at their phones and tablets. At the same time, it inspires adults to guide children to look closer at the earth for “unseen elements of the soil.”
Asher says, “We’re trying to bring [soil] to life in the imagination and bring back the tools of science more into the home and more into the classroom and say, ‘Hey, let’s have an experience of what that actually means.’”
The design of The Soil Book and its additional Soil Discovery Kit both combine direct experience of soil and nature with interactive games and learning. They both instill a sensory curiosity and lifetime way of thinking from the ground up – from childhood to adulthood, and from homes to communities across the planet.
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The Soil Book Finds Solutions in the Soil
Asher emphasises how The Soil Book teaches earth science in ways that nurture a sense of working together to discover solutions in the soil – without always having to have all the answers. He wants kids to go from looking down at the ground in wonder to growing up to run city councils that value biodiversity. “Children are the future, yah?” he says.
From rhymes and storytelling of “slippery, spinny spidey nemotodes” to illustrations of mycelium and mushrooms and colouring sections with protozoa and rhizome, The Soil Book is a real-life adventure for kids and adults alike. The soil kit teems with activities from an interactive board game to cards, science photos, soil tests, and teacher’s references.
The book engages every learning style just as nature does, for a true and tactile depth of experiential wisdom rooted in childlike learning.
Asher’s own childlike instinct comes through when asked to be the voice of the soil by Regen Ray. Regen Ray asks him, “If you were to become the soil and embody the energy of our soil and you could give it a voice, what would you tell us all here on Earth?”
Asher happily plays the voice of soil: “I’d say be very humble like me, the soil, where I just let – let it all in, and let it all sort itself out. You know, let’s encourage some biodiversity. Let’s rethink the universe that we live in. Let’s rethink life and empty our minds so that we can let them fill up again with some concepts that might ensure that we’ve got a healthy planet to live on in the future. So, yeah, stay curious. Stay humble. Keep on learning. Keep on digesting. Just like I do, the soil.”
Want to dig deeper into soils?
The Soil Learning Center is a hub of resources for farmers & growers who are on the regenerative journey. A platform created by soil lovers at Farming Secrets Media Group.
The goal of Soil Learning Center is just that: creating a central online space bringing together resources, education, content and inspiration, to better your growing practices, boost profits and product quality with an emphasis on sustainability and promote freedom from climate change.
For today’s modern farmers, you can’t afford to not know about regenerative farming and how these practices can help you succeed.
We’ll also discuss successful stories from other farmers and growers who have found their unique solutions using nature’s tools with this new form of agriculture.
4 Responses
It is really important to teach kids all this, and most importantly break the stereotype of agriculture and teach the scope of advancement and possibilities
Very informative and insightful
Good read
Yes, great for kids!