Earth Day Ecology Activity: Exploring Life in the Soil

Soil isn't just made up of ground up rocks and tiny pieces of dust . Soil is made up of a combination of non-living (called abiotic) and living (biotic) things. The non living things we might see are the pebbles, silt, or bits of sand or loam that people call "dirt." But just beneath that surface, there are all sorts of living things to be discovered.

With this Earth Day ecology activity, you and your kids will take a closer look at some of the living organisms that can be found in the upper layer of soil. These organisms are called "decomposers" and turn those fallen leaves, twigs, grass, and even dead bugs back into nutrient rich food.

Decomposers can be bacteria or fungi. Other types of decomposers are tiny little creatures such as insects, worms, millipedes, and sow bugs. Some of these decomposers are pretty small but can be easily collected and observed by using a simple device called a Berlese funnel. Because it takes several hours for the decomposers to drop into the collection chamber, it's best to start this ecology activity early in the day.

Making the collectors

Begin this ecology activity by making one or several Berlese funnels. These funnels can be made with items that you should have around the house.

Materials needed to make the Berlese funnel are:
A one gallon jug with rigid sides ~ such as a one gallon vinegar jug.
Piece of screen cut slightly smaller than the diameter of the gallon jug.
Damp paper napkin
Strong light, such as a trouble light or spot light.

To make the Berlese funnel, follow these instructions and use the attached photograph as a reference:
Step 1. Cut away the top of the vinegar jug where the slope of the neck meets up with the straight sides. This will be the funnel.
Step 2. Place the damp paper napkin in the bottom half of the cut jug. This will be your collector.
Step 3. Flip the funnel upside down (spout facing down) and rest on top of the collector.
Step 4. Place the screen inside the funnel.

Gathering soil samples