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For generations upon
generations, we have lived on and learned to use soils. Soils sustain
our world. This talk will provide us with fascinating information about
the Soil Exhibition
that opened in July, 2008 at the
National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. |
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Without soil, life on
land would not exist as we know it. The soils under our feet are a vast
reservoir for life and play a part in almost every aspect of human
existence – food, housing, clothing, medicine, ecosystems and much more.
"Dig It!” shows how every type of soil is unique. Visitors can observe
the way water moves through different soils in tumbler tubes containing
sand, silt, clay and loam. The flow of water through soil can affect
minerals and gases and all life that depends on soil.
After examining soil close up, exhibition
visitors can step back and see the "big picture” with a world map and
interactive stations that present the connection between soil and global
systems. Models demonstrate the roles of soil around the house and the
formation of soil in commercial and residential construction, dams,
playing fields, neighborhoods, roads and in food production. An
evocative video explains soil's role as a "secret ingredient” in such
household goods as medicines, food, wine, textiles, paint, cosmetics and
pottery. Following
its showing at the National Museum of Natural History, "Dig It!” will
travel to 10 museums across the country through 2013 under the auspices
of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. |
