In the watercolor making workshops with soils that the organization Art-Soil-Being offers, Zoelie Rivera Ocasio usually asks a question: “What is your earliest memory with floors?” The question transports many to simpler times; to when they played with dirt in the yard and heard the voices of relatives in the background, or the memory of a grandmother or an aunt sowing.
“We use art as a vehicle, but the idea is to increase that sensitivity and appreciation of the soils. It is there that people open themselves to connecting and reconnecting with the soils and, then, the information becomes more relevant to their lives.. Because, if you talk to people about soils and they don’t see the direct impact it has on their lives or the connection their lives have with the soil, well, it’s just going to be a talk. But, through that sensory experience and emotions, people have that connection and connect with their life experiences,” shared the executive director of the organization.
These workshops – where participants mix clay, which is the “fine” part of the soil, with a binding medium to form watercolor, collect it and paint – are part of the initiatives that Arte-Suelo-Ser has used since its founding in 2020. , to decentralize and make accessible knowledge about the soil resource and the great variety that exists in the Puerto Rico archipelago.
“Soils are closely linked to our lives. Many times, we think about soils in the agricultural field, because they are important for food production, yes, but they also provide different ecosystem services. We want clean water, well, we have to have clean soils; We want healthy biodiversity, well, it is the soil that sustains that biodiversity,” he expressed.
With that in mind, the organization led by Puerto Rican women is preparing to celebrate its 5th. Art-Soil-Being Congresswhich will bring together local and international experts in four days of events, scheduled to take place between December 5 and 19, and which will culminate with the launch of the Virtual Museum of Caribbean Soilsan initiative that has been taking shape for years.
“Puerto Rico being so diverse and not having a soil museum, it is important, it is necessary. And, as part of our vision and mission of Arte-Suelo-Ser, this living project was born in collaboration with NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service, under the federal Department of Agriculture), and (the goal) is to provide accessibility to everyone so that they can learn about how important soils are,” he highlighted, for his part, Yomaries González Bermúdezco-director of the Virtual Museum of Caribbean Soils.
Meanwhile, Rivera Ocasio announced that The Virtual Museum will have three main components: exhibitions, the Learning and Research Center – which makes education about soil ecosystems accessible – and the “Soil Legacy” project, which promotes local tourism of this resource.
“Just as people go to chinchorreo to see different gastronomic routes, we want the same with the soils, we want people to go from one forest to another or from one reserve to another and, beyond wondering why I have this type of vegetation, it is also looking at what soils are present that support that type of landscape. We add a ‘layer’ of fun to what is internal tourism, appreciating the soils”indicated the also co-director of the Museum.
He added that the long-term goal is for the Museum to have a physical space, but they decided to launch it online “recognizing the need to connect with the Caribbean and overcome geographical barriers.”
Regarding the upcoming congress, he explained that the first event will be December 5from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm The talks on educational and agricultural projects will be offered virtually – via Zoom – and will feature the participation of special guests from Colombia, Chile and Mexico. The next event – the December 12also virtual, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm – will be a panel discussion on strategies to “sustainably” manage soils in Puerto Rico.
The summit event will be December 14 at the Center for Cultural Development and Fine Arts of Gurabo, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, in which they will offer talks, workshops and other activities, within the framework of the World Soil Daycelebrated annually every December 5. The congress will close this year with the launch of the Virtual Museum, the December 19at 6:00 pm, by Zoom.
Worldwide, there are 12 “orders” of soils, of which 10 are present in Puerto Rico, which makes it a place “very rich in a diversity of soils,” González Bermúdez highlighted. The only two soil orders that do not exist in the archipelago are the “Gelisols”, which must have permafrost and are found in very cold climates, and the “Andisols”, developed from recent volcanic ash.
“We have 213 series of soils, which we could say are 213 different soils, in Puerto Rico”added the environmental scientist. Among the factors that make Puerto Rican soil so diverse, he listed the relief of the archipelago and the place where it is in the Caribbean.
“Soil is a non-renewable resource (which is consumed faster than nature produces it), but of great value. It serves as a carbon reservoir, it is like a bank, it will store the carbon in the soil, because it is required for that other world of microorganisms and plants that also rely on the soil. And of course, it provides that means for the roots of plants and trees to be sustained, like us, like other animals,” González Bermúdez elaborated on the importance of soils.