The LOESS project is entering an exciting new phase, with public and educational campaign activities beginning across 15 countries. In Sweden, Public & Science will be running a series of events and outreach initiatives aimed at raising awareness about soil health and encouraging engagement with the project’s tools and resources.
Funded under Horizon Europe, LOESS is a pan-European initiative to strengthen soil literacy through targeted campaigns for schools, universities, policymakers, and the general public. In Sweden, activities will begin after the summer, with a special focus on ForskarFredag, Sweden’s European Researchers’ Night, which this year takes “the earth beneath our feet” as its central theme.
At Alnarp’s Agroecology Farm in Skåne, school groups and members of the public will be invited on farm tours and to take part in hands-on learning at interactive experimental stations. Public & Science will also run a stand at the Stockholm ForskarFredag event and is collaborating with local organisers to engage soil scientists and develop activities at additional locations across the country.
The Swedish campaign will also offer an opportunity to try the LOESS augmented reality soil app and the crowd mapping tool, which allows anyone to contribute observations on local soil conditions and health.
At the university level, a set of training modules to build soil-related competencies that have been co-created with students will be promoted. A workshop for policymakers is also planned for late 2025
Support for teachers will continue through the promotion of LOESS’s growing library of educational materials, including the MOOC “Soil Education: An Integrated STEM Approach”, a collection of multilingual learning scenarios (lesson plans), and a case study database showcasing soil education practices across Europe.
To complement in-person events, a social media campaign will highlight LOESS tools, activities, and key messages throughout the year. This outreach will connect the Swedish audience with the broader European campaign and contribute to growing public awareness of soil health as a foundation for climate resilience, food security, and biodiversity.
Through our events, digital outreach, and collaborations with educators, we hope to spark long-term interest in soil stewardship among Swedes of all ages.
“This next stage of LOESS is all about connecting people with practical tools and knowledge that can inspire action for healthier soils,” says Maria Jacobson, LOESS Project Manager at Public & Science. “Through our events, digital outreach, and collaborations with educators, we hope to spark long-term interest in soil stewardship among Swedes of all ages.”
With activities running through 2026 and more engagement opportunities to come, Public & Science Sweden invites everyone to follow the campaign online and to get in touch if they would like to be involved.
