Sounding Soil – healthy soil makes noise

Soils that are alive make sounds – and soils that are cultivated in different ways sound different from one another. The research and art project “Sounding Soil” makes these sounds audible. Biovision uses “Sounding Soil” to sensitise the population, students, farmers and decision makers about sustainably managing soils.

Anna Schöpfer explains what the sound of Swiss soil tells us

Marcus Maeder, artist and researcher shows how to capture the sound

Visit the project’s website for more information.

Switzerland

Knowledge

At a glance

Project country:
Switzerland

Participants:
School pupils
Swiss public
Youth

Project Officer:

Franziska Fischer

Marilena Schumann

Project phase:
2022-2023

Partner organizations:

Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETHZ
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL
National Soil Monitoring Network NABO
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL

The project addresses the following SDGs from UN Agenda 2030:

Project website

Sounding Soil

The project website soundingsoil.ch offers an interactive sound map of Switzerland that allows you to experience the soundscape of Swiss soils at home. You can also register to borrow a soil microphone, find out about our upcoming events, read up on latest research results, and learn helpful tips for living more sustainability.

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To the website

"The sounds I now hear from my soil are living proof that all these years without poison—but full of manual labour, compost and mulch—have been worthwhile."

Susanne Cetkovic, Participant of the Citizen Science project for the collection of soil recordings

To support this project or get further information, please contact

Naomi Köpfli

Institutional Fundraising

E-mail

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