Soil magazine melissa salome elise

Volume 1, Issue 1

Organism of the year!

The Soiler

BY: SALOME,MELISSA AND ELISE

Newsletter Date

Mycorrhizae

Organism of the year

Organism of the Year!

THIS YEAR, OUT OF MANY PARTICIPANTS, WE CHOSE MYCORRHIZAE TO BE THE ORGANISM OF THE YEAR! Soil affects our everyday lives, most of our food depends on this soil, its home to the plants and many of the animals that make up our food, its also home to many organisms. it gives support to all the buildings, homes, and structures. They make sure plants can grow and we depend on plants for our food, forests and wild flow‐ ers. Farming and food produc on depend on soil. Soil supports our na onal forests and the wood from the trees give us fuel and wood.

Soil is so important to our lives, it only makes sense that the organism of the year as to do with soil.

Mycorrhizal fungi has occurred naturally in the soil for about 450 million years. They a ach themselves to the roots of plants and form a symbio c rela onship with plant roots. The plant provides the fungus with direct access to carbohydrates like glucose. In return, the fungus extends the root system further into the ground, increasing the plant’s capacity to absorb more water and nutrients. This process enhances growth and the de‐ velopment of the plant and the Mycorrhizae. Sadly, in most soils that have been ruined with intense cropping and pes cides, the Mycorrhizae content has been quite diminished.

Mycorrhizae also exists in soil that hasn’t been tampered with. That means if the soil has been lled, topsoil has been removed, erosion has occurred, or the soil has been sprayed with pes cide, then some of the mycor‐ rhizae has been stripped off the roots.

Unnatural landscapes affect the mycorrhizal rela onship in two ways. First, they isolate the plant from the my‐ corrhizae available in natural se ngs. Secondly, they increase plant stress and the need for water and nutri‐ ents.

SO WHY DOES MYCORRHIZAE DESERVE TO BE THE ORGANISM OF THE YEAR? Well, Mycorrhizal fungi benefit plants by extending the root system further into the grow, allowing them to absorb more water and nutrients! Therefore, plants have more of what they need to stay strong and healthy!

Also, the absence of mycorrhizal fungi can also slow plant growth in some landscapes or in early growth. Hur‐ ray for Mycorrhizae.

MYCORRHIZAE!!!!!

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THE SOILER

Salomé One wild an beautiful life Above me, I see sunlight peeking through the seams on the orange umbrella In the distance I see a palm peeking behind an urban building Then noise of crow cries and rustling leaves fill my ears, a siren going on and off

Soil supports us It builds on everything we do It all started from rock And it got attacked By wind, ice, water, storm It broke, just like us

The smell of dry sandy wind, mixed with pine, and the trace of mint on my fingertips

It was ripped into a million tiny pieces

The leaf, squishy and rough, with runway layers topped off with a point

Hold the plants up

Tall ferns with lambs ear hugging their toes

Roots cracking the ground

Florescent flowers scattered near the floor

The plants do photosynthesis, live naturally

A big open space with room to grow

While you hold it up

This would be a childhood home, wasted behind a screen

The plants die

Only to be strong enough to support others

The plants break it more

You weren’t a healthy home Gingko tree

They decompose, singing their remains into your cracked stone Like soil, you break, you crack But you get better Healthier Supportive You affect people’s lives

Tree profiles The gingko tree Camphor tree

The Gingko tree was around when dinosaurs roam the earth They left the earth except the they still survived in japan Buddhist monks kept the trees alive They can be used for memory medicine They are good for your health They can survive in thin soil

The camphor tree It is 150 years old Even though it is in the lawn it is doing well It is beautiful and it gives shade It doesn't need much water It could survive for about 200 more years VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

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Elise My Death What happens when you die?

Does your body decay and become what it once was?

I am afraid to die.

But when I die, I would want to become my larger-self.

I see a sparrow, eating what sparrows eat, and then, I see her take off on an endless flight.

Seeing her small wings flap so fast they lift her off the ground into a world that is entirely her own.

Watching her leap off the ground and into the air.

I spot her look at me, almost saying come with me, but that is out of my control.

As I sit here on the concrete steps of the front porch, I feel the wind blowing through my hair and on my face.

I imagine it sweeps me and takes me up into the air.

I float around up there and watch the world become darker and darker.

There is nothing I can do, I am soaring through the atmosphere.

You look for me, but I am always too fast.

I am on a never-ending flight.

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THE SOILER

Melissa Noticing my Surroundings Barbaric Yawp

Above me,

The rugged surface

A canopy of roses hides me

Underneath my feet

from the vastness of the blue and the white wisps

Captures my attention

To my left,

Sifting through my fingers like dust

Two bumblebees buzz melodically;

Teeming with microscopic life

A one-note tune Across from me,

It is anything but lifeless Organisms thriving, Breaking down toxins How can a place so peaceful be so chaotic

A hummingbird performs a high-octane dance And behind me, The swaying trees send a chill down my spine, even though the Sun is unmoving How delightful are the benefits

Composition

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

of simply just noticing

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Elise Dear Reader, Hello, my name is Elise Noda. This week has been a blast, and the seventh grade has been studying soil for the past week. We have learned all about it, and ways to protect our land. During the week, we did face some challenges, but we worked through them. Overall it was very fun.

On the first day of the soil unit we walked over to the Arlington Garden to look at various things, like our surroundings, the labyrinth and we took different substances and rubbed them in petri dishes, which contained bacteria food, to see the bacteria growing on top of it. Once we got there, we all went to different places to observe the landscape. It was so beautiful: seeing the poppies blooming and the butterflies above me; it is a sight I will remember forever. The next station was the labyrinth. It was made to calm our minds down and to relieve all the stress we have. Approximately, it took twenty minutes for us to enter and exit the labyrinth. It was hard for me to focus but it was relaxing none-the-less. After that, we collected bacteria samples. Well, we got dirt, rubbed it on bacteria food and waited for a while. When we looked at it again, there were colonies of different types of bacteria.

The next day we had class rotations. The first class I had we learned about Victory Gardens. Victory Gardens helped feed our soldiers since the canned food was rationed. By the year of 1944 these gardens were responsible for producing 40% of the vegetables. After that we talked about Community Gardens and what we eat. We watched a video that compared a corn’s life to a tomato’s life. The corn is a mono-crop; therefore it uses a lot of pesticides. The tomato is organic and is sold at a local farmer’s market. I learned so much from the video and it really surprised me.

On Thursday, we went on a field trip with Arroyos Foothill’s Conservancy. They taught us about Mulch and how it can help. If you put mulch on invasive plants than it will prevent water from getting to the ground so the roots won’t get any food. It also helps because if there is a flood, than it will absorb the water and work like a dam. So we covered invasive grass with mulch and cleared a whole pile of mulch up. I was so proud after we were done.

Today we had rotations with different people. The first rotation for me was the tree walk with Ms. Leigh Adams. She told us about the various types of trees around campus. After that we placed herbs where they would be able to grow. For example my group placed the rosemary in the sun because it required the full sun to grow. The next place we went to was the worm composting rotation. First we sawed a long tube about a foot long and then we dug a hole into the ground. That is all we had time to do but if we continued then we would put the tube in the hole and place worms into the tube. They go get deep into the dirt. The next rotation was mulching the garden in the front. We dumped the bag on the dirt and spread it around evenly. During the last rotation we made seed balls. First we put dirt in a little bucket and put water and poppy seeds in it. Once it was moist and slimy, we rolled them into balls. The seeds can only be activated if the ball get’s wet.

This week was educational and very fun. I learned so much about soil and how I can look inside my larger-self and not my smaller self. We rely on soil for food, fuel and air, without it, there wouldn’t be any life on earth.

Best Regards, Elise N. Page 6

THE SOILER

Salomé Dear Reader,

My name is Salomé. At school we started a unit called the soil unit. People don’t care about soil, nobody understands how important it is. Soil affects our everyday lives, most of our food depends on soil, its where we find the plants and many of the animals that make up our food. Soil is also home to billions of organisms. It gives support to many buildings and structures. Soil is needed and benefits farming and food production, forest life and flowering plants. Soil also controls climate, it really does, it absorbs CO2 and that controls the climate. It changes the way water flows. It absorbs pollutants. Many of the organisms in soil are decomposers. Its trees give us fuel, paper and lumber. The farming industry gives so many people jobs. Soil also enables plants to grow. Most people know that but nobody really thinks about how much it helps. It gives animals and organisms shelter. It helps grows crops. Soil gives people clay, and materials. It gives animals homes. Soil controls water, and weather such as rain and snowfall. It can be used for preservation. We need it to live, it gives us oxygen. We need soil, don't take it for granted.

For this unit we started learning about soil, and how it helps our earth. We did projects to help the soil. On the first day we went to the garden and looked around, I know it sounds strange but we really took in the nature and looked at what was around us. It was really a beautiful experience. We also went through a labyrinth made by kids to clear our mind. It was kind of hard to clear my head though. The last thing we did that day was collect different types of soil and put them in petri dishes. We looked to see what different microorganisms grew. The second day we looked at the Fibonacci sequence and saw what different numbers were in nature, we also learned about victory gardens and how they can help our community. The third day we learned about the bad things in food and how they can destroy your body, and how you can pick good food instead of bad ones.

You vote three times a day, pick the good food vote. On the forth day we went to the arroyo and mulched. Mulching is good because it makes the soil healthier and it also prevents floods and droughts, in the same way. It locks in water for the plants so they don't need as much and it also absorbs water from the rain so we don't have a flood. We also made a propaganda poster to teach people that gardening is good, and eating healthy helps. The soil unit was a great experience and I really learned a lot from it, like the bad side effects of unhealthy living and how much soil helps. I really hope they will expand this unit to other schools because it could really change the lives of many students. If your school doesn't have a soil unit please talk to your teachers and try to get them to create one, it really does help the students learn to eat healthy, unplug and appreciate the nature around them.

Co Editor, Salomé A.

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

Page 7

Melissa

Dear Readers!

Before the Soil Unit at my school, I was literally clueless about how important soil was to the world. Maybe you are like that. Maybe not. But I still want to share my experiences during the Soil Unit with you- through poetry and art.

What really opened my eyes during the soil unit was when we visited the Arlington Garden.

Form the outside, the garden looked a bit plain (I had driven past it sometime) but in the inside of the garden, it was beautiful. There were so many beautiful flowers and all sorts of different plants. Without soil, none of those plants would be there at all. Also, where would be that labyrinth that we traipsed around? Held together with soil, it would also be gone.

Soil is extremely important. Without soil we would all be gone. And the problem is, good soil is disappearing due to erosion. Twenty-four billion tons of soil is lost to erosion every year. When farmers plow their fields they leave the soil bare and exposed. As a result, wind and rain can pretty easily sweep soil away into rivers and lakes.

Throughout the Soil Unit, I learned about these things through the activities we did. After we went to the Arlington Garden, we learned about Fibonacci sequences in nature, watched a documentary called Nourish, made propaganda posters, learned about victory gardens, and put different types of soil in petri dishes. On the fourth day of the Soil Unit, we went mulching at the Arroyo. We carried mulch up a hill and spread it on the ground. It was hard work but we got it done because we knew it would benefit the soil.

During the Soil Unit, I definitely learned to appreciate soil more. By reading my poetry and enjoying my art, maybe you can, too.

Your Editor, Melissa B. Â

Page 8

THE SOILER

Quiz: Are you a worm, ant, or mole Winter vaca??

NYC

ii Hawa

Fav pinkberry?

Prefer??

swi mm ing

y fruit

Rock climbing

Where would you explore

Home body

decedent

traveler

y od b me Ho

Color?

Tr av ele r

oc ea n

ar m W

space

lor co

Cold colors

Disney princess

Ar

iel Ear

belle

You are an ant!!!! Like Elise!!!

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

ly

bird

Night owl or early bird

Nig ily am ht F ow l

You are a worm!!!! A pretty much a mix of ant and mole!!!

More time with fam or friends?

friends

You are a mole!!! Like SalomĂŠ and Melissa!!!

Page 9

Elise

Page 10

THE SOILER

Propaganda poster

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THE SOILER

Photo montage!

here we have Emma, Sophia, and Katrina pushing wheel barrels full of mulch up a hill

Here we have Helena and Zoe raking mulch

Here we have Melissa taking out some invasive plants

The class is shoveling mulch into Sophia's wheel barrel

More raking!

Kat is pushing mulch up a hill The class shovels the mulch

We have Ronnie, Amelia, Melissa, Carolina and Katrina raking mulch

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

Quyen is pushing her wheel barrel up a hill Page 12