(En español a continuación)

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to accurately sample soils for comprehensive chemical analysis, including soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient profiles. We will analyze in situ the biological, physical and chemical properties of soils, including compaction, infiltration rate, soil texture and structure, surface biology, soil aggregate stability, root behavior, soil temperature and bulk density. This integrated approach provides a thorough understanding of soil health by combining quantitative data with qualitative observations. Participants will also have an opportunity to learn about Landscape Interactions’ collaboration with NOFA/Mass Food Access to transform a portion of their community garden at Tapley Court Apartments into a refugia for at-risk native bees, butterflies and moths through the incorporation of biodiverse, perennial and productive native plant communities.

About:

NOFA/Mass Food Access in partnership with Home City Development, Inc. (HCDI) has established community gardens in Springfield to address food insecurity in the Mason Square neighborhood, an Environmental Justice community with a majority BIPOC population. With no supermarkets in the area, Mason Square is an urban food desert. Through their Carbon Gardening Youth Leader Program, NOFA/Mass works with local youth ages 14 to 21 to manage the community gardens, monitor soil health, teach organic gardening techniques, and promote cooking and food preservation. The project also focuses on creating citizen scientists to observe changes and improvements in soil health — using traditional knowledge from elders, community members and youth participants.

Landscape Interactions is collaborating with NOFA/Mass Food Access on two community garden sites as part of Healthy Soil through Maximum Biodiversity, located at Tapley Court Apartments and Liberty Hill Townhouses.

About the Instructors:

Rubén Parilla, Soil Technical Coordinator, NOFA/Mass 

Rubén is a Certified Lab Tech with 15 years of experience working at different capacities in the environmental laboratory industry. He trained in microscopic soil microbial identification through the Soil Food Web School and studied Environmental Design at the University of Puerto Rico. He leads and performs all components of NOFA/Mass soil technical services and has extensive experience farming and working with growers, including beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers. Rubén performs soil health-related outreach and education for NOFA/Mass through monthly farmer learning calls, hands-on workshops and instructional events, and networking with farmers and individuals in the agricultural industry. Finalmente, Rubén es bilingüe y quiere saber de usted.

Evan Abramson, Founder and Principal, Landscape Interactions

Evan Abramson grew up amongst the museums and parks of New York City, where early exposure to ancient art, cultures, animals and plants left lasting impressions upon his abilities to create and organize images, color, light and form. Drawing on his diverse experience as a regional planner, landscape designer, farmer, community organizer, filmmaker and photojournalist, Evan designs landscapes and corridors that build biodiversity and resilience to a changing climate at the ecosystems level. As Founder and Principal of Landscape Interactions, he works closely with project partners along every step of the process, from conception through design, implementation and maintenance. Under his leadership, Landscape Interactions has been responsible for over 380 acres of habitat installed in the Northeast United States, specifically targeting at-risk bee, butterfly and moth species for each project location.

Anna Gilbert-Muhammad, Food Access Director, NOFA/Mass

Anna Gilbert-Muhammad began working with NOFA/Mass after completing their Beginner Farmer Program in 2015. She serves as the NOFA/Mass Foods Access Director and oversees the Youth Agricultural Scientist Program, the Open Pantry Community Garden Project and smaller projects in the Boston and Springfield areas. Anna and her husband Keith live in Springfield and are market gardeners in the Mason Square area.

About the Project:

Join Landscape Interactions and NOFA/Mass for an array of hands-on workshops this season, as they partner with farmers and community gardeners across Western Massachusetts to implement a series of scalable, replicable designs and land management practices that incorporate biodiverse, native pollinator-supporting vegetation. Funded by a Healthy Soils Action Grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), Healthy Soil through Maximum Biodiversity aims to demonstrate that enhancing plant diversity and supporting at-risk pollinators leads to healthier soils, increased soil organic carbon sequestration and improved ecosystem function. Whether your farm is urban or rural, large or small-scale, your production livestock or vegetable-based, there are gleanings to take home from this project. Workshops offered in the 2025 season include soil analysis and on-site data collection, site preparation, native pollinator life cycle requirements, native plant and seed installation as well as short and long-term maintenance.

Accessibility:

The workshop site is relatively flat, with paths consisting of grass and soil, and is located adjacent to a parking lot.

More Information:

Participants are encouraged to bring water, sunblock and repellant. For those that have trouble standing for extended periods of time, it is recommended to bring portable seating.

Refund/Inclement Weather Policy:

For information on our refund and inclement weather policy, click here. 

Capacity:

Capacity for this event is limited to 50 people. Please register ahead of time to secure your space.

Questions?

Contact 646-244-8380 or [email protected]

Análisis de Suelos, Muestreo de Carbono y Diseño para la Resiliencia

Fecha y hora del evento:

Jueves, 15 de mayo de 2025
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Ubicación:

Tapley Court Apartments

221 Bay St

Springfield, MA 01109

(Navegue hasta 121 Sherman Street y estacione en el estacionamiento al otro lado de la calle)

Costo:

Gratis

Descripción:

En este taller práctico, los participantes aprenderán a tomar muestras de suelo con precisión para un análisis químico integral, incluyendo el carbono orgánico del suelo (SOC) y el perfil de nutrientes. Analizaremos in situ las propiedades biológicas, físicas y químicas del suelo, incluyendo la compactación, la tasa de infiltración, la textura y estructura del suelo, la biología superficial, la estabilidad de los agregados del suelo, el comportamiento de las raíces, la temperatura del suelo y la densidad aparente. Este enfoque integrado proporciona una comprensión profunda de la salud del suelo combinando datos cuantitativos con observaciones cualitativas.

Los participantes también tendrán la oportunidad de conocer la colaboración entre Landscape Interactions y con NOFA/Mass Food Access para transformar una parte de su huerto comunitario en Tapley Court Apartments en un refugio para abejas nativas, mariposas y polillas en riesgo, mediante la incorporación de comunidades de plantas nativas perennes y biodiversas con valor productivo.

🔗 Regístrese ahora en línea: https://tinyurl.com/tapley-soils