Introduction

Welcome to SoilQuest! Many things have been said about soil - that it is common or has little to no value. This couldn't be further from the truth! Everything revolves around soil and everybody wants control of it. This SoilQuest activity is going to show you just how important soil is to all types of people, groups and industry.

Your class will be given a piece of land to divide and manage. You will then be assigned into one of five land use groups and will need to research your stakeholder interests. The mission of your class is to find the best solution for this land. You need to make sure the interests of your land use group are taken into account.
Keep in mind that we need soil to:

• Grow food
• Support buildings and roads
• Support industry that provides jobs
• Provide space for recreation and wildlife
  

Remember that you are planning for your generation but what you plan will affect the ones that follow. Good luck on your quest!

What is a Land Use Group?

A community consists of people with a variety of interests in the soil. We call these 'Land Use Groups'. SoilQuest has divided these Land Use Groups even further to show the stakeholder interests within each. As you will see each stakeholder has a slightly different need for the soil. A community will survive and thrive only if a balance is found that considers economic, social and environmental factors.