About the Soil4Life Training

14- 19 October 2019, Vaunieres, France

The Soil4Life project aims to raise awareness and share good practices regarding this important subject.
As part of the project, CCIVS held capacity building event in one of its member’s centres in France. The participants learnt about the fascinating, living soil web and how they can restore and regenerate soils in their diverse contexts. The course addressed rural as well as urban issues and took place in participatory and non-formal learning environment.
We aimed to get our hands dirty- making compost, and natural fertilizers, while exploring skills like reading the landscape, sharing ideas, innovations and inspirations drawn from the diverse group of chosen participants. The young people were supported by expert facilitators and a strong logistics team.
During the event, each participant came up with an action plan that they will implement with their local organisations after the training. These can include workcamps, community gardens, local awareness raising campaigns, “Green the City” movements and similar projects. A Network of Soil Ambassadors is being established to share and connect these local actions and forms part of the creation of the Soil4Life Manifesto. A first draft of the Soil4Life Manifesto will be collectively created during the 4 training days, and the final manifesto will be delivered in March 2022 to the European Commission and presented during the International Convention to take place in UNESCO, Paris.
The “dirt below our feet” plays a critical part in our interconnected and living planet´s ecosystem. There are many solutions, large and small, and the Soil4Life project aims to promote and support actions that positively contribute to the regeneration and restoration of our environments.

Participants and training team on Soil4Life at Vaunieres, France

Sessions included practical and theory

Finding contours using a simple A-frame

Participatory strategies created a fun learning environment

Exploring different soil types and conditions

Comments

Regenerating soil AND growing food

The land where I live has been exploited and badly damaged over many decades. The most noticeable impact is caused by the huge Eucalyptus and abundant Wattle that are overcrowding the area, dehydrating the soil, blocking the sunlight and limiting biodiversity. These plants were brought here for the vast monoculture plantations that surround us- as a replacement for the indigenous old-grow woods when they became highly endangered due to over harvesting and deforestation. Eucalyptus, Pine and Wattle are not from this country nor region, and our local flora and fauna cannot thrive here- they create a very limited ecosystem and wreak havoc on the natural ecosystem services that our unique endemic forests provide. But, with the right tools and resources, they can become a blessing! With a chainsaw and a chipper, we are able to turn biomass into compost which we use in our indigenous tree nursery, in our food gardens and in our agroforestry systems to improve the soil. While clea...

The Soil4Life Manifesto

We, as part of the ecosystem, understand ourselves as guardians of the soil... The 5th of December 2019 is International Soil Day, and marked the launch of the Soil4Life Manifesto first draft. The manifesto begins: We, as part of the ecosystem, understand ourselves as guardians of the soil. Healthy, living soil is essential for life to thrive. In recent human history quality and care of soil has been largely ignored and misunderstood. The vital role that healthy soils play in our ecosystems needs to be recognised, protected and restored... We would like to hear and include the voices and concerns of all people affected by this serious and sensitive subject. The Soil4Life manifesto was first drafted on October 17th, 2019 during an international soil management training, as part of the bigger Soil4Life project and CCIVS for Climate Justice. CCIVS and Legambiente partnered with other organisations to make this possib...

Read and Sign The Soil4Life Manifesto

The time to act is Now! Please read and sign the Soil4Life manifesto to show your support! https://ccivs.org/soil-manifesto/ Sign the petition here: https://form.jotform.com/212072578209052 Our planet and the beings who reside here and make up the complex, whole, living system on which all life depends are under serious threat. Life functions are being threatened by exploitation, short term thinking, and a worldview that values economic and financial growth over the continuity of life and living systems. The complex, interconnected systems through which life on our planet has been able to flourish and grow over millennia have been misunderstood, misrepresented and ill treated for too long. We, as humans, have attempted to detach ourselves from the web of life. We have created a hierarchical worldview and placed our species at the top, instead of playing an integrated part in its life processes. This attitude and behaviour is destro...

Soil4Life

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