UKSoils LH & LL form

Introduction

Please use this form if you would like to be listed on the UKSoils.org website as a:

• Living Laboratory (LL) - locations where new innovative techniques are being developed for soil health

• Lighthouse (LH) - locations and activities where best soil-health practice is being showcased

• Soil Assessment Network – initiatives and organisations testing and developing new approaches to soil health assessment in experimental or ‘real world’ situations, including local to national scale soil health monitoring programmes

There are 25 questions to complete, but most are quick to fill in. The form should take about 10-30 minutes to complete depending on if you are describing a single site or a larger network.

We will review the details you provide and, if we consider the initiative described to be appropriate, we will list it on the website.

Living Labs and Lighthouses are the building blocks of the EU mission on soil health 'Caring for soil is caring for life'. UK Soils is looking to help link up the wide range of Lighthouses and Living Labs already present in the UK. This is to support communities and outreach as well as help maintain links into the developing community in Europe as part of the Soil Health and Food Mission.

Living Labs (LLs)

• Co-design and co-construction of innovative practices beyond current understanding with inputs from citizens, practitioners (e.g. farmers, foresters, landscape managers), advisory services, biophysical and social scientists, data scientists and technologists, planners and policy makers, business, educators and trainers. This requires dedicated governance or cooperation models which could also be established at the level of regional clusters of LLs.
• Experimental and research and innovation activities, moving beyond current management practices that are clearly linked to several of the soil health targets using a systems based approach with clear tracking of outcomes over time using robust monitoring approaches and indicators.
• Robust scientific approach embedded taking an interdisciplinary and always when possible, a transdisciplinary approach.
• Wide range of outreach activities.

Lighthouses (LHs)

• Demonstration of best management practices in various sectors and various types of land use which improve soil health and related ecosystem services using a systems based approach.
• Research activities focussed around improving current management practices that are clearly linked to one or more of the soil health targets using a systems based approach with clear tracking of multiple outcomes (economic, social, environmental, etc.) over time using robust monitoring approaches.
• Active outreach and engagement activities with biophysical and social sciences embedded in all activities to address the quantification of risks and opportunities, cost-benefit analysis, wider systems’ impacts including those on food, forestry and urban systems. This shall improve the evidence base and encourage wider uptake both within and beyond the LH boundaries.
• Active outreach and engagement programmes to include: high level of engagement activities for citizens (e.g. gardeners, consumers), practitioners (e.g. farmers, foresters, landscape managers), advisory services, data scientists and technologists, planners and policy makers, business, educators and trainers. Support in the co-construction of emerging LLs and LHs within and beyond the immediate regional context.

Reference: European Commission, Independent Expert report (2020): Caring for soil is caring for life. Ensure 75% of soils are healthy by 2030 for healthy food, people, nature and climate. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. [Read mission document]

By completing and submitting this form you are providing personal information to the UKSoils consortium* and agreeing to allow members of the consortium to:

• Store this information securely
• Share the data between UKSoils consortium members* when it is necessary to do so
• Share the data with members of the European Union's Mission on Soil Health and Food (who are keen to hear about and share examples of good practice and innovation)**
• Include it in a publicly accessible database, read it from the database and display it on the UKSoils website (e.g. when a website user performs a search)

These activities are considered necessary in order for us to include your initiative on the UKSoils website.

The law on data protection sets out the reasons we may collect and process your personal data. By proceeding you grant us permission to collect and process your data (i.e. the legal basis of Consent).

Data Controller: This form is managed by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). See the UKCEH privacy policy
Data Processor: This form uses the Jisc Online Survey system which is GDPR compliant.

To proceed you need to indicate acceptance of these terms.

* Current members of the UKSoils consortium are the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the Sustainable Soils Alliance, Earthwatch, the University of Sheffield, the British Society of Soil Science and SRUC.

** Learn more about the European Union Mission on Soil Health and Food here