Five human senses are traditionally identified, namely sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing.

During the workshop, we will explore soil using the five senses. Workshop activities include, amongst others, painting and drawing with soil material (sight), smelling soil (smell), blindfolded touching and feeling soil (touch), soil tasting and soil toothpaste brushing (taste), and listening to soil sounds (hearing). Participants will ultimately select the soil type with which they most closely identify (anthropomorphism). Throughout these activities, participants will exchange their views, and their responses will be registered for further analysis. Participation is free. The maximum number of participants is 30. After the registration period closes, acceptance notifications will be sent to participants via email, along with the complete workshop programme. If more than 30 people register, a selection process will take place.

The workshop is organised by ISRIC – World Soil Information, a partner in the CURIOSOIL project. The project, co-funded by the European Union and led by the University of Aveiro (Portugal), aims to deepen public comprehension of soil dynamics, establishing a connection between individuals and soil using hands-on experiences.

Register here

Event details 

Date: Thursday, 20 February 2025.

Location: Wageningen Campus, the Netherlands

Participation: Free (maximum of 30 participants)

Programme

• 08:15 – 09:00 | Registration and walk-in with coffee
• 09:00 – 09:10 | Welcome and introduction to the programme, Stephan Mantel from ISRIC World Soil Museum
• 09:10 – 09:30 | Introduction to the senses and soil
• 09:30 – 11:00 | Division in groups for various activities and exercises. Three rounds of half an hour each.
• 11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee break
• 11:30 – 13:00 | Three rounds of exercises
• 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch break
• 14:00 – 15:00 | Discuss the results of the different exercises – each group presents one experience
• 15:00 – 16:00 | Soil tasting with masharu from the Museum of Edible Earth
• 16:00 – 17:00 | Soil sounds with Marcus Maeder
• 17:00 – 17:30 | Closure

Registration

Immerse yourself in the soil and join the multisensorial workshop on 20 February!

Register here. Deadline for registration: 14 February 2025.