Across the country, conservation districts are taking soil education straight to the classroom. From teaching students about soil health to encouraging hands-on learning with soil projects to inspiring creativity through creating posters, district staff, educators, and conservation partners are helping students learn all about “Soil. Where it All Begins.”

Missaukee Conservation District

In Michigan, the Missaukee Conservation District (CD) showed students how soil is alive with hands-on exploration of soil boxes. At Lake City Elementary, Missaukee CD’s Conservation Outreach Coordinator, Erin Horton, brought two sets of these boxes to kindergarten and third-grade classrooms to spark curiosity in different ways.

The first set of boxes were mini vermicomposting boxes filled with red wiggler worms. Students were able to touch and observe the living world happening right beneath their feet. Holding the worms in their hands helped the students explore the idea that soil is not just dirt; it is a living, breathing ecosystem full of tiny workers.

The second set of boxes were filled with sand and fossils—including shark teeth, ammonites, petrified wood, and much more—along with identification cards so students could name what they found. This activity invited them to think about how many fossils might be hiding in the soil all around us and what that tells us about the history of the Earth.

“When a kindergartner pulls a shark tooth out of a box of sand, and their eyes go wide, you know something real is happening,” said Horton. “These activities were designed to help students feel the wonder of soil and the earth beneath us, not just learn about it from a textbook. Connecting that hands-on curiosity to the idea that soil is where it all begins felt like exactly the kind of conservation education that sticks with kids long after the lesson is over.”

The lessons and boxes were used as a springboard for the NACD Poster Contest this year, tying into the theme “Soil. Where it All Begins.”

Edgefield Soil and Water Conservation District

In South Carolina, students at the W.E. Parker Elementary School connected with the soil by making their own “Root Buddies” with the Edgefield Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Rhonda Thomas, District Coordinator, and Julia Cox, NRCS Soil Conservationist, visited a fifth-grade classroom to talk about the importance of soil conservation.

Using instructions from the activity placemat in NACD’s 2026 stewardship materials, the students were able to build “Root Buddies,” allowing them to watch root systems develop as their seeds sprouted in their own little greenhouse. They even decorated the bags with stickers and faces!

“The kids seemed to have a lot of fun getting their hands dirty and planting their Root Buddies,” said Thomas.

Students were given quart-sized zip-lock bags with pre-punched holes just under the zip top. They filled the bags about 1/3 full of soil and then planted three green bean seeds.  A small amount of water was added and they sealed their bags.  They were then instructed to tape their bags to a window that gets sunlight.  After about three to four days, their seeds had cracked open, and the plant began to emerge, allowing them to see the roots growing into the soil.

The activity was tied into a lesson on soil— what it’s made up of, how long it takes to develop, erosion and how to prevent it, and growing crops.

Want to get started with education initiatives in your area? With lesson plans, activity guides, printable handouts, presentations, and more, downloading NACD’s stewardship materials is a great place to begin. Share your district’s education projects and stories with us at info[at]nacdnet.org or on social media by tagging @nacdconserve!

Tags: Soil Health, conservation education, stewardship week, soil. where it all begins