Mark McClain has prepared a great slideshow on member benefits, presented in Raleigh, NC on January 19, 2010. It hits on the classic points, some pithier ones, and pulls in some good history. We've taken this as a golden opportunity to start an NSCSS Slideshare account - look forward to posting other similar presentations.

USGS will likely hire 12 individuals to do this work. Most of them will be summer employees, but for those who graduated in December 09, they could start sooner. This summer position would be a great fit for those who have soil morphology and classification and/or have soil judging experience. Via Tom Hallmark, TX

Soil Survey in United Arab Emirates. Closes January 27, 2010  

The 11th edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy, as well as a summary of all changes for this new version of the Keys is available at: http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/tax_keys/

NSCSS has received two inquiries in the last week from soil scientist owned firms seeking leads to qualified soil scientists.  Both firms are located in Western states.  Formal job descriptions have not been prepared yet.

"A soil scientist carries a few basic pieces of equipment, including a level, soil testing kit (strapped to his belt), a spade and an augur."

The current issue of Soil Profiles is available for download. (pdf)

The summer soil institute provides a unique opportunity to gain a fundamental and applied understanding of soil biology, chemistry, and physics with world-renowned faculty. Students will gain hands-on experience with lab and field techniques and will gain an enhanced appreciation for the importance of managing our soil resources sustainably. The course will be limited to a maximum of 25 students. Applications will be reviewed starting March 12.

The view of soil as a natural resource separates soil science from engineering.

Pierre Bordenave has been recently appointed by the National Academy of Sciences to the U.S. National Committee for Soil Science (USNC/SS) for a term of 3 years.

My career has seen the soil science profession shift from predominantly government employer to mixed private, government and university employers. Until recently, I thought I was witnessing the decline of the profession, but now I believe it is the effect of the diversification that has ultimately broadened the knowledge and application of soil scientists. Today, there are more laws and regulations that pertain to soils than ever before, and states continue to add licensing. So why is the number of soil science students continuing to decrease?