Wellington County, Ont. – On June 15, from 1:00 – 3:30 pm, Wellington County Museum and Archives (WCMA) will host an opening event for their latest exhibit Not Just Dirt: Digging into the Science of Soil.
Not Just Dirt encourages visitors to use their senses to explore soil science by touching, smelling, and interacting with different areas of the exhibit. Exhibit attendees will discover what soil is, why it’s so important to life in Wellington County and around the world, and how we can keep our soils safe and healthy in a changing climate.
The exhibit also highlights the stories of Wellington County residents who work with soil, such as farmers and soil scientists, and touches on how precision agriculture technology is transforming soil practices.
“Wellington County has some of the most productive farmland and soil in Ontario, including the Guelph Soil Series, which was designated as our provincial soil in 2015,” commented Warden Andy Lennox. “Locally, there’s much exciting research happening on soil health, climate change, and evolving best practices to keep our soils safe. The Wellington County Museum and Archives, located in the heart of Wellington County, is the perfect venue to further soil science education.”
Recently, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry visited several Wellington County sites as part of their soil health study.
“We’re excited that Senator Black will join us for the exhibit opening and share progress on the national soil health study,” commented Hailey Johnston, Curator. “Soil is a complex, living, changing resource that is critically important to all of us.”
All community members are invited to attend the exhibit opening and enjoy:
- Remarks, beginning at 2:00 pm, from The Honourable Robert Black, Senator-Ontario; The Honourable Ted Arnott, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; Warden Andy Lennox; Karen Chisholme, Climate Change and Sustainability Manager; and Jana Burns, Wellington Place Administrator
- Complimentary snacks and refreshments
- Children’s activities including Infiltration Investigation, Capture the Carbon, Soil Handprints, Garbage Juice, and more.
- The WCMA playground, gardens, and trails
Exhibit curators and content experts will be available to answer questions in the exhibit following speaker remarks.
The Wellington County Museum and Archives is on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora.
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Media Contact:
Hailey Johnston
Curator
T: 519.846.0916 x5226
E: haileyj@wellington.ca