When it comes to soil, most think agronomy not astronomy.
But a new public service campaign featuring astronomer Laura Danly, Ph.D., suggests there’s a universal connection between the stars, the soil and the residents of planet Earth. It’s a connection that’s especially significant on Dec. 5, which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has deemed World Soil Day.
Danly, who is the curator of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and a former NASA astronomer, recently teamed up with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to lend her voice in a new public service campaign to highlight the importance of improving the health of Earth’s living and life-giving soil.
The more I learn about our amazing universe, the more I realize what a special home we have within that universe – right here on planet Earth,” Danly said. “One of the things that makes planet Earth such a special place is its living soil.”
Danly, who is also a frequent guest on the History Channel’s “The Universe,” said recognizing the connection between the stars and the soil is something that she wants to help her fellow Earthlings more fully understand and appreciate.
For more information on how NRCS is working with farmers to “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil,” visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.