Save the soil: Calgarians unite to raise awareness about soil extinction in a weekend walkathon

Soil is a vital resource that is often taken for granted. 

Used to help grow and feed the crops that are sold, soil has become an essential and irreplaceable item that has dwindled over the years even though without soil, growing food for human consumption would be impossible.

Over the last 150 years, more than half of all planetary soil has been lost and scientists predict that by 2045, the world’s population will suffer from 40 per cent less food than today.

The perils of soil extinction 

Hoping to bring awareness to the issues surrounding soil extinction, Sadhguru, an Indian yoga guru, started an initiative known as the Save Soil movement. 

The goal is to educate and raise awareness about soil extinction, advocate for policies to keep up soil health, and inspire over 3.5 billion people to support these policies, says local Save Soil volunteer Dhruv Patel. 

By hosting coordinated walkathons in around 60 different cities in North America, Patel says that he hopes people across the continent will become more involved with and aware of soil degradation — including right here in Calgary with a Save Soil Walkathon happening this weekend. 

“This is a movement to raise awareness and make people conscious of what they can do to save the planet,” Patel says. “We’re all working together to have a future globally.” 

The “time to act is now” 

With 52 per cent of the world’s cultivatable soil being degraded, Patel says that the time to act is now. 

“Our initiative is to bring organic content back into the soil up to three to six per cent,” Patel adds. 

Calgarians are invited to participate in a walk that starts at the Mewata Armory at 10 a.m. and ends at Olympic Plaza, where there will be a variety of games and activities for kids and families to enjoy. 

There will also be speakers educating Calgarians on the importance of soil and what needs to be done to help reduce soil extinction. 

People are encouraged to register online for the Save Soil Walkathon.