Citizen Science · Soil Health
California Plant Your Socks Project
Bury a cotton sock. Dig it up 60 days later. What's left tells us how alive your soil really is. Join Californians statewide mapping the biology beneath our feet.
Why healthy soil matters
Healthy soil is a living ecosystem — teeming with microbes, fungi, and invertebrates that cycle nutrients, store carbon, filter water, and grow the food we eat. In California, drought, fire, and intensive agriculture are testing our soils like never before.
You can't see soil biology, but you can measure it. That's where cotton socks come in.
The experiment
- 1Bury a clean 100% cotton sock 6–8 inches deep in your soil.
- 2Mark the spot and leave it for approximately 60 days.
- 3Dig it up carefully and photograph what's left.
- 4Upload your before and after photos here. The more decomposition, the more life your soil holds.
The project so far
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Total submissions
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Counties represented
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