More than 4,600 pupils from across Sweden are getting ready to become citizen scientists this autumn through Dig Deeper, a nationwide soil research project organised by Public & Science Sweden, a partner in the Horizon Europe project LOESS. School classes will collect soil samples from parks and green spaces, contributing to research into the largely invisible biodiversity beneath our feet.

EU TalentOn brings together around 100 early-career researchers from across Europe, selected through a competitive multi-stage evaluation. Participants work in international, interdisciplinary teams to develop creative and actionable solutions to societal challenges linked to the five EU Missions: Adaptation to Climate Change, Cancer, Restore our Ocean and Waters, Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and A Soil Deal for Europe.

Dr Singh applied under the “A Soil Deal for Europe” mission arena, drawing directly on his work in the LOESS project. His application built on LOESS approaches to soil health literacy, including Communities of Practice methodologies, the mapping of awareness needs and educational gaps across Europe and stakeholder engagement with educators, policymakers and community groups.

He also proposed a project concept, SoilBridge, a practical toolkit designed to help communities understand their local soil condition and take evidence-based steps to improve it. The concept combines accessible soil health indicators, plain-language guidance tailored to local contexts, and a structured workshop format bringing together farmers, educators and local decision-makers. SoilBridge is directly informed by the knowledge and methods developed across the countries participating in LOESS.

The selection highlights the relevance of LOESS approaches to the wider EU Mission Soil community and offers an opportunity to bring soil health literacy into a competitive European arena alongside researchers working across complementary disciplines.

Interest in the project has been high. Over 220 school classes, representing around 4,600 pupils, have registered to take part across 58 municipalities in Sweden.

During August and September, each class is heading outdoors to collect a soil sample from beneath a tree in a park or other urban green space. Pupils will also investigate the soil and record information about the sampling site, the tree and the surrounding vegetation.

The samples will contribute to research led by Tord Ranheim Sveen at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), who is investigating how trees influence the biodiversity living in the soil beneath them. Once collected, the samples will be sent for laboratory analysis, where DNA-based methods will be used to identify some of the organisms living in the soil.

Participating schools will later be able to learn about the findings and discover what their collective contribution has revealed about soil biodiversity across Sweden.

Participating teachers have also been supported through a webinar, where Tord Ranheim Sveen introduced the research behind the project and discussed soil biodiversity and soil health. Both the webinar and the online instructions for teachers encourage schools to use lesson packages, developed as part of the EU-funded LOESS project, to explore soil-related topics further with their pupils.

A teaspoon of soil can contain billions of organisms, including bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. Yet this extraordinary biodiversity is largely hidden from view. Dig Deeper gives pupils an opportunity not only to learn about this world, but to contribute directly to research about it.

Swedish pupils contributing to a European effort Dig Deeper is being carried out by Public & Science Sweden within LOESS, which is working to improve soil literacy across Europe, and in collaboration with fellow EU Mission Soil project ECHO, which uses citizen science to generate knowledge about soil health at thousands of sites across Europe.

The project is also the 2026 citizen science project for ForskarFredag, Sweden’s European Researchers’ Night activities.

By bringing together research, education and citizen science, Dig Deeper aims to generate useful scientific data while giving pupils first-hand experience of how research works and increasing understanding of the importance of healthy soils.

Dig Deeper reflects LOESS’s hands-on approach to soil literacy, giving pupils the opportunity to investigate real environments, collect samples and contribute to active research. Through this practical engagement, they develop a deeper understanding of soil as a living ecosystem and of the importance of healthy soils.