Real Dirt: The Case for Forensic Pedology in the Classroom

Cracking Earth's Cold Cases

After nearly two decades of teaching soil science to every age and audience, I kept hitting the same wall: curriculum stops at backyard gardening and composting. Meanwhile, the world is demanding solutions for watershed-scale erosion, sustainable agriculture, and climate-resilient food systems. We're missing the bridge between basic concepts and the complex science that actually powers our working lands.

The answer came from returning to where two of my first loves collide: soil science and forensic investigation. Growing up on Nick at Night reruns of Quincy M.E., following Crossing Jordan, and devouring Patricia Cornwell novels, I planned to become a forensic pathologist. When medical school wasn't the path, I discovered I could apply that same forensic mindset to soil taxonomy and classification—reading the stories written in soil profiles with a detective's eye for detail.

This is where we find our current educational breakthrough. While digital learning has exploded post-pandemic, true soil science literacy has been left behind. Students are asking commercial-scale questions about irrigation engineering, erosion control, and agricultural economics, but existing resources fail to connect soil health to these real-world challenges.

That's why we've created our Soil Science on Campus Kits initiative—customizable curricula and kits that transform classrooms into environmental crime labs. Students don't just learn about soil texture; they become forensic pedologists solving watershed "cold cases." Was it the industrial developer, the misinformed rancher, or negligent road crew behind the contamination? Through soil analysis and watershed investigation, they crack the case using the same diagnostic skills we have honed through years of scientific field and lab work.

We're building more than garden clubs—we're training the next generation of soil scientists, conservation engineers, and agricultural problem-solvers who understand that soil is the literal underpinning of everything: our water security, food systems, and climate resilience.

The case for soil-literate future is open. Will your students help solve it?

Learn more about our forensic pedology kits and bring real-world environmental investigation to your classroom. 🕵️🌱