This project plans to develop a metric for monitoring and improving soil health with citizen science. This team will train students and members of the community to determine and introduce appropriate mycorrhizal fungi, pollinators and beneficial insects into CU by testing soil and evaluating its health. This project will develop an educational program in conjunction with community partners to turn soil metrics and knowledge into concrete actions: increasing pollinator-friendly areas, introducing pollinators and insects, and expanding use of cover crops. This will address iCAP objectives 4.2.2, 4.3, and 4.4 directly, and strongly benefit the campus community.

This team proposes a citizen science project for the UIUC community that will: 

1. Train students and community members to take soil samples and monitor soil health. This team will create metrics and goals in support of iCAP objective 4.4, which is currently lacking. 

1. Expand pollinator-friendly areas, increase the abundance of mycorrhizal fungi, pollinators and beneficial insects and cover crops. Working in partnership with UIUC students, campus organizations and local community organizations such as Hendrick House Farm and Randolph Street Community Food Garden, this team will target potential spaces and communities and apply this sustainability treatment. 

1. Provide education programs in healthy soil stewardship and food production. This team will train students and residents to better care for the soil ecosystem and to benefit from this ecology by producing healthy food options. 

1. Monitor and measure the impact of this treatment via pre-evaluation/post-evaluation and treatment-control block randomization techniques. With these methods for research design, this team aims to causally infer the impact of these interventions and run a cost-benefit analysis. 

1. Should a large enough effect be inferred, this team will share the methods, design and results of this project with others, so that others may replicate the project and share in the benefit of healthy soil, air, water and food.