Soil Whisperer
Posted on November 28th, 2016 by Mary Lord
From the air or highway, America’s fruited plains present a uniform vista of vast abundance. Not to Amy Kaleita. The associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University sees a “somewhat chaotic” array of micro-plots, each with unique hydrology, root depths, soil characteristics – all of them ripe opportunities for smart technology to enhance both sustainability and food production using “precision conservation.”
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Tags: Agricultural Engineering, Amy Kaleita, Environmental Engineering, farming, Iowa State University, micro, micro-plots, precision conservation, sensors
“Engineering and Animals” is the theme for the National Academy of Engineering’s 2017 EngineerGirl! Essay Contest. Students in grades 3 to 12 are asked to choose an endangered animal – like this black-footed ferret – and consider how engineering might improve life for that species. Submissions are due Feb. 1, 2017.
To celebrate its 100th birthday and engage the next century’s environmentalists, the National Park Service is opening parks to 4th graders and their teachers and parents for free. Every Kid in a Park includes trip planning tools and teacher activity guides. No time or funds for field trips? Take a virtual tour of the Grand Canyon or explore resources for teaching history to citizen science.
As host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil has had to tap engineering expertise for everything from stadium construction to pollution control to security systems in order to receive an estimated 15,000 athletes and half a million foreign visitors. Despite the country’s economic woes, zika virus concerns, and construction delays, the games will go on… though probably not without some hitches.
In this activity, teams of middle school students express their creativity while learning the fundamentals of engineering design, sustainability, and the basic physics of forces and motion by building a vehicle out of recycled trash that is capable of transporting liquid over rough terrain with as little spillage as possible.
The world wastes 1.4 billion tons of food annually, with the average American chucking out 250 pounds’ worth. Designers, engineers, and even restaurants are shrinking that global garbage heap with innovations ranging from “smart” food packaging to urban composting. 
Whether it’s a school garden or national park, the natural world offers a great way to encourage inquiry and STEM learning. To support the integration of Greening STEM into current or new programs, the National Environmental Education Foundation is offering grants of up to $1,000 to teachers, after-school programs, and nature organizations. Apply by April 5, 2016.
Are you passionate about the environment and between the ages of 15 and 22? EarthEcho International, a nonprofit environmental education group founded by the grandchildren of legendary underwater explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau, seeks 15 individuals to serve on its first Youth Leadership Council. Apply by December 31, 2015.
To celebrate Earth Science Week, the American Geosciences Institute is hosting a photography contest for people of all ages, a visual arts contest for elementary students, and an essay contest for students in grades 6 to 9. Deadline for submission is Friday, October 16, 2015. 
