Engaging Citizens in Soil Science: the Road to Healthier Soils
The project aims to engage citizens in protecting and restoring soils by building their skills and enhancing their knowledge on soils. Citizens will actively contribute to the project’s data collection, promote soil stewardship, and foster behavioural change across the EU.
What are the aims of the project?
ECHO aims to improve soil health across Europe by actively involving citizens in soil monitoring and research. Participants receive a soil sampling kit and training materials that enable them to assess soil health indicators, collect soil samples, and contribute valuable data to a European-wide open-access database. The project helps citizens better understand the importance of healthy soils while supporting scientific research on soil health and biodiversity. By participating in ECHO, citizens contribute to the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” and help generate knowledge that can support more sustainable land management and environmental protection.
How can you participate in the project?
Anyone can take part in ECHO by becoming a citizen scientist. Participants receive a soil sampling kit and access to training materials that guide them through the sampling process. Citizens collect a soil sample, assess simple soil health indicators in the field, and upload their observations through the ECHO mobile app. The soil sample is then sent to a laboratory for further analyses of soil nutrients, heavy metals, and microbial diversity. Participants can explore the results through ECHOREPO, the project's open-access database, and contribute to improving knowledge on soil health across Europe.
The picture shows the ECHO soil sampling kit for citizen scientists. The kit contains various materials for taking soil samples and recording soil health indicators as part of the ECHO project.
