The July–December 2024 issue of UNESCO’s Bridges newsletter spotlights the SOILSCAPE project, highlighting its innovative role in building awareness of soil as a life-sustaining resource.
In collaboration with the Bern University of Applied Sciences, UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe hosted an activity using the Photovoice-inspired SEPIA method. Fifteen UNESCO officers captured and shared images reflecting their personal and cultural ties to soil, from childhood memories to gardening practices, revealing how deeply soil shapes daily life and identity.
The exercise not only generated rich insights but also strengthened participants’ awareness of soil. Discussions in Venice linked these personal stories to local challenges, including erosion, vulnerability, and landscape transformation.
Co-funded by the European Union and Switzerland’s SERI, SOILSCAPE—Spreading Open and Inclusive Literacy and Soil Culture through Artistic Practices and Education—blends science, art, and education to reframe soil as both an ecological and cultural heritage, inspiring deeper care for the ground beneath us.
Explore the July–December 2024 issue of UNESCO’s Bridges newsletter.