Open to: BCIA Registrants and their Guest

Registration opening soon!

Join the Peace River Branch for a full-day, hands-on exploration of soil health. Through a combination of discussion, field observations, practical measurements, and demonstrations, participants will explore how different indicators can be brought together to better understand how a soil is functioning.

What to Expect

Throughout the day, participants will work through a variety of soil health observations and measurements, including:

• Representative soil sampling and why consistency is important when comparing soils and monitoring changes over time.
• Soil water infiltration measurements to evaluate how effectively soil receives and moves water.
• Soil compaction measurements using a penetrometer to identify possible restrictive layers.
• Bulk density sampling, including its relationship to pore space, rooting, and water movement, as well as its importance as a baseline measurement for calculating carbon and nitrogen stocks.
• Wet aggregate stability, using 2-mm soil aggregates and RODAC plates to visually compare how well soil structure holds together when exposed to water and relate field observations to laboratory results.
• Rainfall simulation, comparing soils collected from local fields with soil from a long-term undisturbed site. Participants will observe differences in infiltration, runoff, and the clarity or cloudiness of water moving through or leaving the different soils.

The goal is to look beyond individual tests and consider what these different observations tell us when viewed together:

“What is the soil telling us? What may be limiting its function, and how could management influence what we are seeing?”

As the host explains:

“Just as in an orchestra, no single instrument tells the whole story. By listening to several parts of the soil system together, we can begin to understand whether the soil is functioning in harmony, or which part of the orchestra may need some attention.”

Agenda

8:00 AM – Introductions and opening discussion
Morning – Introduction and soil lab test basics
12:00 PM – Lunch provided
Afternoon – Field-based activities, demonstrations, and group discussion
4:00 PM – Event concludes

Important Information

This is an outdoor field event, so please dress appropriately for the weather and field conditions.

NOTES:

Lunch will be provided. Advise of any dietary concerns or allergies when registering! If you have an allergy, you are responsible for bringing the appropriate medication and taking precautions.

Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the event.

Registration is initially limited to 30 participants to support hands-on participation in the lab-style activities. Additional registrations may be accommodated depending on interest and catering arrangements; however, participants beyond the initial capacity may have more limited opportunities for individual participation in some activities.

ATTENTION articling registrants!! The in-person event will be an excellent opportunity to network and meet with other branch registrants.

Please note that photographs and footage will be taken. These will be used by BCIA for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website, newsletters, and on social media. Should you not wish to have your photo taken and used for these purposes, please advise the photographer at the time.