Observe Your Soil
Take time to observe and connect with the soil. Answer these 13 phenomenological questions to deepen your understanding of the ground beneath your feet.
Describe the smell: earthy, moist, sweet, musty, fresh?
Listen: birds, insects, wind, water, silence?
Observe color nuances: brown, black, red, gray, light, dark?
Observe: layered, granular, compact, porous, aggregated?
Describe: size, shape, color, quantity, distribution?
Feel the texture: sandy, clayey, crumbly, sticky, dry?
Check: dry, slightly moist, moist, wet, saturated?
Test: easy, medium, hard, very hard, impossible?
Feel: cold, cool, lukewarm, warm, hot?
Look for: worms, beetles, ants, spiders, larvae?
Note: depth, density, thickness, alive or dead?
Identify: grasses, herbs, mosses, flowers, trees?
Reflect: history, health, connection, future?