Xerces Events

Healthy, living soil and its functions are created and maintained by fungi, bacteria, plants and by invertebrate animals as diverse as annelids, springtails, and firefly larvae, among others. Soil invertebrates are fundamental to soil health and create soil structure, cycle organic matter, consume weed seeds and prey on crop pests.

Please join us to learn more about urban soils, the invertebrates that live there, and management practices and other resources to support these important animals and their role in soil ecosystems. Guest presenter Anna Paltseva will lead a module about the risks of soil contamination in urban environments, focusing on heavy metal pollution, its sources, and its impact on human health and urban agriculture.

This online short course is funded by North Central SARE as a professional development project and is intended for urban farmers, NRCS staff, Soil and Water Conservation staff, Extension Educators, and other agricultural professionals who serve urban farms across the North Central SARE region (ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH).

The online course will be recorded and freely available for viewing on the Xerces YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar.

This course includes several digital publications: Farming with Soil Life handbook, Soil Invertebrate Biomonitoring Pocket Guide and Soil Invertebrate ID Pocket Guide.

Course topics:

1. A brief review of soil function, properties, and classifications
2. Introduction to the main groups of soil invertebrates; how to recognize them; their ecology
3. The roles of soil invertebrates and the connection to soil health
4. Methods for scouting, monitoring, and counting soil invertebrates, through a combination of formal scouting protocols (e.g., pitfall traps to collect and count soil-dwelling beetles) and informal observational techniques (e.g., the use of Berlese funnels).
5. Regionally relevant research about recognizing and addressing contamination in urban soils: Is Urban Gardening Hazardous to Your Health? Dr. Anna Paltseva’s presentation explores the hidden risks of soil contamination in urban environments, focusing on heavy metal pollution, its sources, and its impact on human health and urban agriculture. She discusses practical remediation strategies, innovative soil testing methods, and community-driven approaches to improving urban soil quality and sustainability.
6. Management practices to increase the abundance and diversity of soil animals (e.g., cover crop systems and non-chemical management of soil pathogens)
7. Case examples from urban farms
8. An overview of NRCS programs and resources for urban farms
9. Q & A

This material is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2021-38640-34714 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC21-205. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Learn more and register here today!

Speakers:

Stephanie Frischie - Agronomist, Native Plant Materials Specialist - Xerces Society


Stefanie Steele - Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, Urban and Small Farms, Michigan - Xerces Society


Kelly Gill - Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, East Region - Xerces Society


Anna Paltseva - Clinical Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture - Purdue University
Dr. Anna Paltseva is an international urban soil scientist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Departments of Agronomy and Horticulture & Landscape Architecture at Purdue University. Her expertise lies in urban soil contamination, remediation, and the impact of soil on public health and urban agriculture. With a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from The Graduate Center, CUNY, Dr. Paltseva has authored over 30 publications and presented her research at national and international conferences in Italy, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, and more. Dr. Paltseva is the author of Urban Soil Guide: A Field and Laboratory Manual, a comprehensive resource for understanding and testing urban soils. She is passionate about translating complex soil science into accessible knowledge for diverse audiences, leading community-driven initiatives and workshops to improve urban soil health.

To request a reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Join the Xerces Society at Southern California's largest celebration of science, making, creativity, invention, and fun! Become an X Kid and learn about the super actions you can take to care for bees, butterflies, and other invertebrates. Create an insect mask and step into your power by protecting insects in your neighborhood with a pollinator garden.

City of STEM + Los Angeles Maker Faire is a free, non-ticketed event that is open to the public—all are welcome.

There will be hands-on activities, amazing experiences, workshops, lectures, and appearances by famous creators and science celebrities. This event reflects the diversity of the greater Los Angeles region and promotes access to science and creativity for all. The event will also include content in Spanish. 

This event is a combination of City of STEM and Los Angeles Maker Faire, and is hosted by Columbia Memorial Space Center and the Los Angeles Public Library.

Learn more here.

The event is outdoors and is rain or shine. Most events and exhibitors will be on the grass lawn.