Emily Southwood –
On Tuesday, December 5th a group of Haut Saint Laurent advocates for healthy soil gathered to mark World Soil Day.
Alongside the numerous celebrations happening worldwide, Charles Eugène Bergeron— a longtime volunteer for advocacy groups such as Soil 4 Climate and Sols Vivants Québec—marked the day by making a visual art installation out of soil. He created the symbol on the property of Godmanchester Councillor, and organic farmer, Peter Bulow. Bergeron met Peter Bulow during his career in Agriculture Management and considers Peter a leader in organic practices.
International Soil Day is recognized by the UN, and was first recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. The Food And Agricultural Organization of the United Nations now observes World Soil Day (WSD) annually on the 5th of December with the mandate to ‘focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources’. The theme for 2017 is: Caring for the planet starts from the ground.
Bergeron has been dedicating his time to environmental causes for many years and now entirely directs his advocacy work towards soil protection. In his words: “Protecting soil means protecting life.” He explained that the Russian painter and philosopher Nicholas Roerich, famous for initiating the Roerich Pact (an international treaty focused on the protection of culture) was an inspiration for this installation. The three circles that form Bergeron’s installation represent the 3 components of culture according to Roerich: science, arts and spirituality.
Several other local supporters attended the rainy day celebration including France Lemieux of the environmental group Crivert, who are also passionate advocates for the importance of healthy soil. Learn more about the group’s efforts at @Crivert on Facebook.
