The Joint NZSSS and SSA Conference was successfully held at Rotorua from 2nd to 5th December 2024. The topic of the conference was 'Weaving Soil Science Across Cultures & Environments'. More than 400 participants from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Island attended.
World Soil Day fell on the last day of the conference, with a plenary talk given to open the day by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton.
Soil Judging Competition
Rotorua also played host to the regular Soil Judging Competition, which organisers say is a fun way to upskill soil skills across the industry. Across three days, the international event saw aspiring and experienced soil practitioners not only compete as an individual or team member, but also develop their professional skills in the identification of soil features, soil classification, and land capability assessment.
More than 200 current and emerging researchers, students, environmental consultants, policy and extension specialists took part in the competition, from 23 universities, nine regional councils, six private consultancies, 12 research institutes/ societies, and seven government ministries.
The competition aims to equip participants with the soil description and classification skills vital for interpreting the best management and land use for any given soil. These skills are urgently needed in New Zealand and Australia to address soil protection, climate, environmental, and land use challenges.
To find out more, visit: www.soilscience.org.nz/sjc
Soil art exhibition
Scientists also showcased their soil art skills at the Rotorua conference. Organised by Megan Balks, Juergen Esperschuetz, and Josie Mazzetto, the idea of the soil art exhibition at the conference was to use art to:
- Celebrate soil and science
- Communicate soil-related messages to a wide audience
- Celebrate scientists as artists.
There was a beautiful range of art, including some interactive clay sculpting from clay collected by Emily McKay in Northland, as well as beautiful photography, textiles, posters, and poetry.
Conference documents
For more information on the 2024 Rotorua Conference, please see the documents below.
