"The most profound discovery wasn’t scientific

The Country Trust's Digital Manager reflects upon her Plant Your Pants journey and the emotional relationship she's developed with soil.

~ Written by Sarah Nadin

I come from a long line of amateur growers and gardeners — food and flowers — with farming roots stretching back generations, both here in the UK and across the continent. Working at The Country Trust has helped me appreciate just how fortunate I’ve been to grow up surrounded by this heritage and the people who have a connection with the land.

But not everyone has that chance. And even with my background, I’ve come to realise something surprising: you can have a sense of connection with the earth; whether it’s your garden, your allotment, the school grounds, without truly understanding how fragile it is and essential it is to every part of our lives.

When The Country Trust launched Plant Your Pants in 2023, I felt reasonably confident in my understanding of soil. After all, over the years I’ve had the privilege of learning through osmosis from our brilliant team of specialist Coordinators and programme leads. Our goal was to build a campaign that would inspire people to engage with the soil around them and see for themselves what an incredible environment it is. Where there were gaps in my knowledge, I could research or call on one of our many generous soil experts.

That approach worked — to a point. I wrote factual copy hoping it would spark curiosity for the reader about what I was beginning to see as a vast and fascinating subject. But the more I spoke with impassioned soil scientists, agronomists, farmer hosts, geologists, filmmakers, and campaigners, the more I realised how little I really felt about the world beneath our feet — this abundant yet delicate ecosystem that supports more than half of all species on Earth.*

The most profound discovery wasn’t scientific — it was emotional.

For some, that might sound a little odd. Soil is often seen as ‘dirt’, a nuisance, even a health risk (always wash your hands!). Yet somewhat unconsciously, I found myself developing a deeper attachment to it. I’d marvel at its properties and the incredible web of life it sustains — including us – yet at the same time, I observed or heard about people (sadly, a large proportion of adults) on Farm Discovery visits recoil at the thought of touching soil. Their fear and aversion were real.

This contradiction — visible and invisible all at once – was striking; an innate dislike and disinterest in the very thing that keeps us alive.

I discussed this with the wonderful Dr Jen Jones who features in the below Newsround film. I mentioned how these experiences had profoundly changed my perspective, “that’s because you’ve developed an emotional connection with soil” was her beautifully succinct and accurate response. She put into words what I hadn’t fully understood at the time. I had formed a relationship with soil — one built on respect, fascination, curiosity and even concern. And above all, a fierce desire to defend it.

The plethora of soil facts available speak for themselves (a few favourites are listed below). Yet my experiences tell me that we need more than facts, fundamentally we need just two things; opportunity and time.

However, many face barriers. One in eight homes in the UK doesn’t have a garden**. One in three children*** — nearly three million — don’t have opportunities at home or school to get their hands in soil. Whether it’s a lack of access or a fear of the unknown, these visible and invisible obstacles must be overcome.

That’s where Plant Your Pants comes in. It’s silly, it’s fun — imagine the laughter as children bury pants in school grounds — but it’s also powerful. In touching the soil, children smell it, hear it, feel it. They discover its diversity, its mystery. Their curiosity might just inspire the adults around them to reconnect too.

And those adults are vital. Because if we want children to care for the soil — and the natural world — we must first show that we care ourselves.

BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TODAY - PLANT YOUR PANTS

Soil is truly amazing…

Half of all species on earth live in soil. This makes it the most biodiverse singular habitat on the planet.
1 tablespoon of soil has more organisms in it than there are people on earth.
500 = the minimum number of years it takes to form one inch of topsoil.
Tardigrades (microscopic creatures living in soil) are among the most resilient animals known, able to survive extreme conditions such as exposure to extreme temperatures, some even surviving conditions similar to the surface of Mars!
Soil is responsible for 95% of the food we eat.

* BBC – ‘Soil is home to more than half of all species on earth’