ECHO Horizon Europe Project

Meet Alicja St?pień - the president of the Sandomierz Apple Trail Association ?? ???? If you choose to follow the Apple Trail, you’ll get to see the region’s most picturesque sights and tourist attractions, but more importantly, you’ll get a unique opportunity to learn about Poland’s most important fruit - apples! Alicja has many reasons to care to about the soil in Sandomierz, and we’re glad she decided to join forces with ECHO ?? ?? Here are a few words from Alicja: "For all farms located on our Apple Trail, healthy soil is fundamental - not only for the production of healthy fruit. We also care about the image of the Sandomierz Region and about preserving its natural treasures. In my free time, I am a fruit grower and a leader of the local community. I became an ECHO Ambassador because I believe I can effectively focus people around useful initiatives." Thank you, Alicja! Want to grow with us? Become an ECHO Ambassador! https://lnkd.in/djGtQ7bK #echosoil #echoambassador #soilhealth #missionsoil #horizonEU #EUmission #sandomierz

When do we launch activities for our citizen scientists in #ECHOsoilproject? Very soon! ?? Are we still looking for ECHO Ambassadors? Yes! ?? Soilcast reminds you of our activities and objectives. You are welcome to listen ?? ?? ?? How to join our project? Read about it on the website https://echosoil.eu/- in 13 languages ?? #ECHOsoil #ECHOsoilproject #soilmission #soilhealth

Great things are happening in Spain! ???? Thank you Alba Peiro for promoting soil health and our #ECHOsoilproject ??????

Happy Monday! It's time to welcome another ECHO Ambassador ?? Anna Arabska is a graduate of Business Management and Training College of South Africa, and Journalism and Social Communication in Poznań ???? . She is the founder and editor-in-chief of "Wiadomo?ci Rolnicze Polska" - "Agricultural News Poland". That's 21 years of experience in the industry! As a journalist and editor of an agricultural newspaper, she does her best to popularize healthy practices related to soil health. Her work allows her to visit farms, agricultural schools, and take part in industry events. Talk about great Ambassador material! ?? Here are a few words from Anna herself: "To me, participation in the ECHO soil project is important because it contributes to the protection and improvement of soil quality, which is crucial for the health of ecosystems and agricultural production. It works towards sustainable development, supporting biodiversity and minimizing erosion. In addition, this project can help increase public awareness of the importance of soil and promote responsible practices in the economy and agriculture. Cooperation in such initiatives also promotes the exchange of knowledge and experiences between participants." Answer our Open Call: https://lnkd.in/djGtQ7bK #echosoil #projectecho #echoambassador #soilhealth #missionsoil #horizonEU #EUmission

As soil health enthusiasts, we appreciate that this important topic is mentioned repeatedly in A Vision for Agriculture and Food, published by the European Commission on 19 February. ?????? Vision for EU strategic sectors, providing safe, high-quality food to 450 million Europeans states: “Healthy soil is the basis for farming, today and tomorrow. At the same time, European soils are under strain from factors including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and in some cases unsustainable soil management. To address this, the Commission will incentivise and support farming practices that recover, maintain or improve soil health.” ???????????? #echosoilproject #echosoil #missionsoil #horizonEU #soilhealth

How are we all progressing with the projects and initiatives on soil health? ??? A report published by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, provides an overview of the current state of the art of citizen science initiatives and projects on soil health. This review was conducted in context of #ECHOsoilproject, a Mission Soil funded project. Each of the ECHO partners contributed to the collection and consolidation of information from the projects identified during the desk research carried out by Fundación Ibercivis (Spain). Special thanks to Tanja Mimmo, Alba Peiro and Francisco Sanz for their great contributions to the report. 71 projects were fully compliant with our selection criteria or were considered of interest to ECHO. As you already know, the #ECHOsoilproject aims to engage citizens in protecting and restoring soils by building their capacities and enhancing their knowledge. Citizens will thereby not only actively contribute to the project’s data collection but also promote soil stewardship and foster behavioural change across the EU. Read the full report ?? ?? ?? https://lnkd.in/dbtMkEcq

Another interesting soil initiative in a few days ??????

?? New Publication Alert! ?? The HuMUS project has published "Factsheets with quick and easy methods to carry out soil health assessments (Deliverable D1.1)" on our website! This factsheet defines soil and soil health, explaining why it is crucial for humanity. It explores the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil health and their connection to essential soil functions. The document provides clear guidance on soil sampling, necessary materials, and presents seven easy-to-use field assessment methods accessible to all stakeholders involved in HuMUS. The insights gathered through this deliverable will be key for the dialogues in WP2 of the HuMUS project. ?? Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/d48wJvYX #SoilHealth #Agroecology #SustainableFarming #HuMUSProject #RegenerativeAgriculture

?? Looking for an eco-friendly way to express your love this Valentine's Day? ?? Feel free to fertilize your relationship with one of our cards! ?? #echosoil #valentines #soilhealth #missionsoil #EUmission #horizonEU

Our newest ECHO Ambassador, Ilaria Falconi, has an impressive resume ?? ?? She holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rome "La Sapienza", with a specialization in Environmental Monitoring and Rehabilitation, and a second-level Master's in Analysis and Mitigation of Hydrogeological Risk. A true student of nature! ?? She is currently working as a Level III Research Technologist at the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry (MASAF). Thank you Ilaria for lending our project some of your expertise! "I participate in the ECHO project as coordinator and scientific leader of the "Land, Soil, and Sustainable Agriculture" area for the association Ambiente Mare Italia (AMI). At AMI, we believe that working toward ecological and environmental literacy is essential as a strategy for the conservation of the planet. Therefore, environmental education is a cornerstone of our association, aimed both at fostering an empathetic attitude toward nature as a whole and at informing and empowering citizens on environmental issues. Additionally, we support the ECHO project because the sampling activities to be carried out will not only provide updated data on soil health but also raise awareness and inform citizens about the ecosystem services provided by the soil and the need to manage soil and land using sustainable techniques." Want to join us? Take a few minutes to sign up at https://lnkd.in/djGtQ7bK #ECHOambassador #soilhealth #echosoil #missionsoil #horizonEU #EUmission #sustainableagriculture