#last frontier

Geologists’ Day 

Don’t take the ground beneath your feet for granted: honor the scientists that have delved into the Earth to teach us more about it on National Geologist’s Day.

For many people, geology could be considered an underappreciated science. This may be especially true when it is compared to other sciences such as physics, biology or chemistry. However, if the human race didn’t have geologists, then we wouldn’t know how the earth was formed!

Geologists’ Day dedicates this time towards thanking them for all the research they do to help further understand how our world works.

Not only that, but this day also seeks to learn about historical geologists that have helped people understand our world better and even possibly inspire some people to become geologists themselves!

History of Geologists’ Day

Geology, or the study of the composition of rocks, soil and other materials, has been around since the times of Ancient Greece. In their pursuit of understanding the world around them, Greek scientists, who wondered how the rocks were formed, began studying fossils and generating theories to go along with their ideas and research.

Later, during the Middle Ages, when science was thought to have challenged the Catholic Church, more advances came (albeit sometimes subversively) in the field of geology. During this time, Leonardo da Vinci explored the functions of the human body but also, one of his lesser-known pursuits, is that he became a pioneer in geology.

One of da Vinci’s interesting lines of research was related to fossils. He concluded that the fossils he and others had found embedded on mountain tops must have been from animals that swam on an ancient sea bed, though none of them were exactly sure how they could have gotten there.

During the 17th-century, scientists began to make important links between certain sedimentary deposits in the oceans and the strata observable in rock formations. Much of the explanation as to how that happened, however, continued to remain a mystery until James Hutton and William ‘Strata’ Smith came along.

These two well-known geologists helped find the explanation of the earth’s long and slow development over the course of thousands of years. Smith was also credited as the creator of the first, geologically detailed, national map of any country in the world. In this case, the country was England and he has since become known as the ‘Father of English Geology’.

Geologists’ Day, itself, was actually the idea of a group of well-known Soviet geologists who established it in April, 1966. The day was chosen in the spring because it notes the end of winter and is a time that ramps up to the summer season field work when geologists are so active.

While it continues to be a favorite day of the Russian Mineralogical Society, the day eventually made its way beyond the former Soviet Union and began to be celebrated by geologists, geophysicists and geochemists in various places in Europe, the United States and other countries around the world.

How to Celebrate Geologists’ Day

Typically held on a Sunday, the celebration of Geologists’ Day can be fun for professional rock lovers and hobbyists alike! This day strives to help further the study of how the earth came to be. Geologists’ Day is all about learning the history of the earth, the geologists who studied the earth, and helping to inspire people out there to study geology.

Consider the following ways to celebrate the day or come up with other creative ideas:

Learn More About Geology

Give a nod to Geologists’ Day by learning a bit about what the discipline of geology is and how it works. Digging in rocks, observing maps, and studying how they all came to be is what a geologist’s job is all about. Make use of these online resources to learn more about geology:

The Geological Society of America

International Association for Promoting Geoethics

Society of Economic Geologists

Those who are even more interested might take the time to join a few online classes to further their studies. Take a look into the history of geologists, what they believed about the earth at the time they lived. If it turns out there’s an inner rock-lover in there, just waiting to get out, why not go for a degree while you’re at it?!

Show Appreciation to a Geologist

Geologists’ Day aims to show appreciation for the geologists that continue to study rocks and all their formations.In fact, this is the perfect day to gather with some friends or family to thank some of those favorite geologists, or even just a science teacher, who may have made a difference in the understanding of the world we live in.

Listen to a Geology Themed Playlist

Hop onto Spotify or another favorite music hosting site and enjoy these songs that are reminiscent of the study of the earth, rocks, landslides and all the beautiful things that go along with geology:

We Will Rock You (1977) Queen

The Geologists are Coming! (2017) The Amoeba People

Landslide (1975) Fleetwood Mac

The Petroleum Age (2011) Philip Gibbs

Geology Rocks (2017) Los Beekeepers

Uranium Rock (1973) Warren Smith

Sweet Geology (aka The Mineral Song) (2007) The Akkademiks

Share Geology Day with Friends

Show appreciation for the studies of geologists by sharing this holiday with friends and family. Go big by throwing a geology party, or keep it small by simply gifting friends or coworkers with a small stone or rock as a token of the day. Whatever method is chosen, just the acknowledgment of this day is a step in the right direction toward appreciating the earth and its scientists!

World Soil Day

One annual celebration people will be forgiven for not participating in (or even knowing about) is World Soil Day. Yes, soil—as in that sticky brown stuff that gets walked all over into prized cream carpets. Sadly, it is the ignorance about the importance of soil and the degree to which people take advantage of all that it offers that have led to a drastic reduction in its quality all over the world.

These are precisely the problems World Soil Day aims to battle, as few things could be more important to humans, the inhabitants of Planet Earth, who could never hope to survive without the land.

Soil is, without a doubt, one of the most significant parts of the ecosystem. Contributing to people’s food, water and energy and playing an important part in reducing the impact of climate change, soil is a vital part of life.

For all of these reasons, it’s high time that World Soil Day became known to more people than just scientists concerned about the welfare of our planet. So it’s time to get ready to learn about and celebrate this important day!

History of World Soil Day

In 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) made a resolution proposing that the 5th of December be World Soil Day. The idea for the day was to make it possible to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being.

Later, 2015 was also declared to be the International Year of Soils, in hopes of raising as much awareness as possible about the enormous role that soil plays in food security and, therefore, the very lifeline of humans. Unsurprisingly, so far it’s mostly been the global community of 60,000 or so soil scientists who have been the ones who are celebrating the day the most.

The chances of rather ordinary people exchanging ‘Happy Soil Day’ cards in the near future remain minimal. But that doesn’t mean that people can’t learn to appreciate the important role soil plays in human lives (even if it is darn hard to scrub off the carpet when those nearest and dearest feline friends leave muddy footprints on their way to the kitchen!).

Getting average people involved in becoming more aware of soil and taking part in its health is what this day is all about.

How to Celebrate World Soil Day

As it turns out, there are a number of things that average, regular people can do that can greatly help the soil they live off of to remain in good condition. It’s easy to get started with observing World Soil Day beginning with these ideas. Or for those who are super creative, they can come up with their own!

Get Educated About Soil

The best way to celebrate this day is to do exactly what scientists the world over so badly needs: to get educated. An enormous amount of damage is done to the planet every year–not due to ill will, but to ignorance. This is because many average people simply do not know enough about the earth to know when they are causing damage to it, sometimes damage that cannot be repaired.

Consider these resources for getting further educated on the issues related to World Soil Day:

Kiss the Ground (2020) This 90 minute documentary film featuring Woody Harrelson, Patricia Arquette and Tom Brady tells the important story of the soil being a viable solution to the world’s climate problems.

Symphony of the Soil (2012) Filmed on four different continents, this documentary features farmers, scientists, and ranchers who draw from ancient knowledge to pay respect to the importance of the soil.

The Biggest Little Farm (2018) Telling the story of one family’s attempt at farming, this documentary shows the way the little farm with depleted soil turned into a productive organic farm using regenerative agricultural practices.

Laguna Blanca (2012) Revealing how a farm in Argentina went from a single-crop, low-producing industrial farm to a multi-faceted area capable of production as well as lush greenery that houses many different wildlife.

Participate in a Soil-Friendly Activities

One of the first fun ideas average people can participate in is to plant a rain garden. For those who may not know what a rain garden is, it’s a shallow depression in the yard or garden that rainwater can easily flow into. This helps reduce soil erosion and promotes healthier soil.

Another important soil-friendly activity is composting. In order to stay rich in nutrients, soil needs access to fresh minerals which can come from dried leaves, dead plant parts, grass clippings and more. Keeping a compost heap in the backyard, filling it and turning it regularly not only improves the growing soil, but also reduces the amount of waste put into a landfill.

Read Kids Books about Soil

Got little family members, friends or school children who want to be educated on how important soil is to the lives of humans? Then try reading some different books with them about it! Here are a few to get started with:

The Magical World of Soil Biodiversity, by a variety of authors (2021).

You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Dirt, by Ian Graham (2016).

The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough, by Katie Smith Milway (2010).

What’s Sprouting in my Trash? A Book About Composing, by Esther Porter (2013).

Landscape and Plan for Less Erosion

It is a good idea to reduce to a minimum the amount of flat or paved surfaces on a property, such as driveways and patios. This is because the water flowing over these types of surfaces has a tendency to gain momentum which causes more erosion than it normally would once it reaches the soil.

For those who absolutely must have that patio, they should consider having it built with paving stones so rainwater can flow directly downward into the soil instead. It’s a much healthier (and prettier!) way to get that walking path in the garden.

Place a Rain Barrel

Another simple way to go about conserving soil (and in this case, water as well) is to have a rain barrel placed somewhere strategic where it can easily collect rainwater that is flowing off of the roof, which can then be used to water the grass and the plants.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that even the smallest gestures can make a big difference to Mother Nature!

Spire cove, Alaska

The Last Frontier Trailer

U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick is in charge of tracking down escaped convicts whose transport plane was downed in the Alaskan wilderness. While trying to protect his town and find the inmates, Frank is also targeted by one specific escapee that the CIA is desperate to hunt down.

The Last Frontier stars Jason Clarke, Dominic Cooper, Haley Bennett, Alfre Woodard, Simone Kessell, Dallas Goldtooth, and Tait Blum.

Here’s an image capturing the breathtaking beauty of Alaska’s wilderness, featuring snow-capped mountains, vast forests, a winding river, with a lone traveler gazing into the distance under the Northern Lights. Alaska’s nickname, “The Last Frontier,” conjures images of rugged, untamed wilderness and vast, uncharted landscapes. This title isn’t just a catchy slogan—it reflects Alaska’s unique…