OPAL Soil Centre
Encyclopedia
The OPAL Soil Centre is one of five centres of expertise under the Open Air Laboratories Network (OPAL)
. The OPAL Soil Centre is based at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London
. The OPAL Soil Centre has high profile partners of the Environment Agency
, British Geological Survey
, and the Natural History Museum
.
and Chris Packham
. The survey asks members of the public to go out to their gardens, parks, playing fields or anywhere with soil and collect information about the habitat, soil and to count and identify any earthworms they find.
The results of the survey can be uploaded onto the OPAL project portal website where participants can see their results appear on a map alongside other results. Results from the survey will be analysed by the OPAL Soil Centre to investigate the distribution of soils and earthworms across the England, and to investigate the effects that humans are having on soils.
The Soil and Earthworm Survey was featured on The One Show
on the 23rd March 2009 with a piece presented by George McGavin
.
Open Air Laboratories Network (OPAL)
The Open Air Laboratories Network is a partnership initiative throughout England that aims to get the public more involved with nature through a range of local and national projects...
. The OPAL Soil Centre is based at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
. The OPAL Soil Centre has high profile partners of the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
, British Geological Survey
British Geological Survey
The British Geological Survey is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS headquarters are in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, but other centres...
, and the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
.
Soil and Earthworm Survey
The OPAL Soil Centre developed the OPAL Soil and Earthworm Survey, a national public survey of the Soil and Earthworms in England. The survey was launched in March 2009 and is supported by a number of celebrities including Steve LeonardSteve Leonard
Stephen "Steve" Leonard is a British veterinarian and television personality.-Early life:Leonard's family moved to Cheshire, from Northern Ireland, when he was six weeks old....
and Chris Packham
Chris Packham
Christopher George "Chris" Packham is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author. He is the brother of fashion designer, Jenny Packham...
. The survey asks members of the public to go out to their gardens, parks, playing fields or anywhere with soil and collect information about the habitat, soil and to count and identify any earthworms they find.
The results of the survey can be uploaded onto the OPAL project portal website where participants can see their results appear on a map alongside other results. Results from the survey will be analysed by the OPAL Soil Centre to investigate the distribution of soils and earthworms across the England, and to investigate the effects that humans are having on soils.
The Soil and Earthworm Survey was featured on The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
on the 23rd March 2009 with a piece presented by George McGavin
George McGavin
George C. McGavin FLS FRGS is an entomologist, author, academic, television presenter and explorer.He is Honorary Research Associate at Oxford University Museum of Natural History and The Department of Zoology of Oxford University, where he lists his interests as "Terrestrial arthropods especially...
.