A hands-on workshop where we’ll learn all about the beauty and function of soil in watershed health!
Soil is the skin of the earth. We move across it every day, but rarely stop to notice it or understand its importance to all living things. The composition of soil plays a big role in watershed health, and it’s also more complex–and beautiful to look at–than most of us can imagine! Join ecological artist (and TTF Streamkeeper) Rebecca Schultz and Dr. Alain Plante, Soil Scientist and Professor in the Department of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, for a closer look at the soil in our watershed. We will learn about the qualities and basic properties of soil, take some soil cores, and have an opportunity to make a drawing of soil layers (or horizons). Please wear shoes that can potentially get wet or dirty.
This workshop is part of the Mapping Our Watershed project. Please join us for a follow up workshop on Monday, June 26th from 6-8:30pm at Cheltenham Center for the Arts, where we will make beautifully colored paint from soil!
Mapping Our Watershed is a participatory art and community science project led by Rebecca Schultz in collaboration with TTF, and Cheltenham Arts Center that aims to connect residents with the complex ecology of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. Mapping is about creating a visual representation of a place; it is also a process of documenting the relationships and experiences of that place. Local residents will map their experience of the watershed by learning about its interdependent elements and translating their impressions of those elements into art.
