Project Kick-Off Ljubljana
Welcome to the Alpine soils website!
Get to know Alpine soils, why their maintenance and restoration is important and what our network is doing for the future of a sustainable Alpine region.
Together for Alpine Soils
The Alpine region is not only a geographical area, but also a cultural one with unique landscapes, traditions and land use practices. Unfortunately, the region, along with its diverse functions and meanings, is increasingly threatened by land degradation due to an overuse of resources by various sectors (e.g., agriculture, forestry, tourism, infrastructure, etc.). The impacts of such unsustainable management practices are further exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
SOIL:OurInvisibleAlly is a 3-year project co-founded by the European Union that sets out to bring together diverse stakeholders to mitigate the negative effects of environmental and human influences on Alpine soils and restore already impacted areas.
“In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.”
Baba Dioum
Senegalese environmental protection expert at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, 1992
Alpine Soils 101
The goal of this project is to raise awareness about the role, importance and beauty of soils, in particular about those in the Alpine region. While there is no need to be a soil expert to be able to appreciate soils and their multifaceted functions, a few essential insights can help you better understand what they are all about. You are invited to visit our Learn the Basics section to start your journey of becoming soil-savvy.
Case Studies
To test the knowledge and information we had gathered and to create sites where visitors can observe what certain soil management best practices look like, our team set up different pilots on their own premises. These sites are part of the wider outreach strategy as well as locations, where we can test and verify our findings and recommendations. Additionally, they create opportunities for further experimentation.
As it would be difficult and rather time-consuming to visit all the pilot sites in person, we have conveniently collected and summarized them here, on our website. We hope that reading through them will make you will feel inspired to learn more sustainable soil management or to get engaged within your own community.
