Urban soil research and education
I am so impressed by this oasis at the airport
What surprised you the most in one of your travels?
06/13/2026
06/13/2026
I bet you didn’t know that contamination in urban parks concentrates in lower-income, historically marginalized neighborhoods.
That is what our data shows across five Chicago parks, 233 samples, seven trace elements measured with pXRF. I presented this work today at IUSS - International Union of Soil Sciences in Nanjing, China.
Full paper with Eriell Jenkins, Holly Heafner, Victoire Daniela Soumano, and James Montgomery is coming out soon in iScience.
I never imagined that a girl who loved digging in the dirt would end up here
This week, I stood on an international stage accepting one of the highest early-career honors in soil science.
The award is meaningful, but what matters most is the story behind it: the people who opened doors, the mentors who guided me, and the soil science community that made me feel welcome from the very beginning.
This speech is my thank you to them!
The moment I will always remember 🥇
I was honored to receive the Emma Marie Antonie Täuber Early Career Award from the International Union of Soil Sciences at the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science in Nanjing, China.
This award recognizes contributions to soil science during the early stages of a career, but no scientific journey happens alone. I am grateful to the mentors, collaborators, students, colleagues, friends, and family who helped make this possible.
Thank you to the global soil science community for creating opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute.
Inside the World Soil Science Congress 2026 in Nanjing, China
The congress brought together 2,845 participants, including 1,042 international attendees. The audience was predominantly academic, with 71% professors and researchers and 21% students.
The top contributing countries were
Australia (94 participants),
Russia (88),
Japan (87),
USA (87),
and Germany (63), highlighting the strong global engagement in research and practice.
🪴 Bought a new houseplant and not sure what soil to use?
Save this simple DIY potting mix recipe:
🌱 2 parts peat moss
🌱 1 part vermiculite
🌱 1 part perlite
🌱 ¼ tsp slow-release fertilizer per 8 oz of mix
🌱 Optional: ⅓ tsp agricultural limestone to help balance pH
For succulents and other drought-tolerant plants, add coarse sand for extra drainage.
Healthy plants start with healthy soil.
📤 Share with a plant lover.
Special thanks to Nathan Deppe for sharing this recipe and to , Getzin, and Erin Easterling for creating this video to make soil science fun and accessible
Can’t wait to dig into my parents’ garden soon… summer treasures are ripening
Want a lush garden? Test your soil with my Urban Soil Guide.
#садоводство #садыставрополья
A scientific paper requires far more than writing results into a document.
Researchers need accurate citations, transparent data, permission to use images, proper statistics, and clear authorship contributions.
Even small problems like edited figures, missing references, or unclear methods can lead to rejection or retraction.
Publishing depends not only on discovery, but on proving the work deserves trust.