Kosmos Boden – Das unbekannte Land

An event organized by Grüne Freistadt
Admission free!

Can the soil be so active that it can transform a piece of worn-out farmland into a fertile vegetable garden on its own? Microorganisms and fungi, in incredible colors and shapes, play a major role in this process. Life unfolds in a mostly invisible space.

"Cosmos Soil - The Unknown Land" shows how it is possible to turn a piece of degraded farmland into a fertile vegetable garden. Soil, bursting with life, is essential for our existence - but how do you maintain it? Marc van Will, designer of sustainable kindergartens in the Netherlands, and a small group of city dwellers have set themselves nothing less than that: to give the earth what it needs to grow healthy plants and fruit on its own. Microorganisms and fungi in countless numbers help them to do this.
The aim of the project is to set a cycle in motion in which, in the end, people also benefit from a rich, healthy harvest. For Marc van Will, this is also an opportunity to talk to scientists: Is there a connection between nutrient content and the soil on which plants grow?
If microorganisms and fungi cover the surface of the earth, what are they doing underground? It is estimated that up to 75 percent of the Earth's total carbon is stored in underground systems. Astonishing images taken by an imaging robot show how bizarrely life unfolds in a mostly invisible space. Among other things, scientists are investigating the extent to which plants release CO2 to fungi. The network of fungi and the forest appear to be an inseparable unit. Even in cities, the fungal network contributes to the growth of plants - and thus to the cooling of the urban climate.