This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of the Soil and Water Conservation Society Conservogram newsletter. From the Leadership: Finding the Win-Win in Revamping Federal Hiring Practices By Colby Moorberg As a faculty advisor to students in agronomy, soils, and environmental science, one of the most rewarding parts of my job isContinue reading “Finding the Win-Win in Revamping Federal Hiring Practices”
Author Archives: Colby
Soil Supports Urban Life
The year 2015 has been declared the International Year of Soils. Each month of the year has a soils-related theme to help educate people about the importance of soil. The Soil Science Society of America has developed a series of videos to emphasize those themes. February’s theme is “Soils Support Urban Life”. Here’s the SoilsContinue reading “Soil Supports Urban Life”
Urban Gardening – Thoughts from a Soil Scientist
Along with the trends of buying local food, buying organic, etc., there seems to be an increase in (or perhaps more accurately, a return to) gardening – especially in urban areas. Urban gardening is a great way to save money on food, a great source for fresh vegetables, and an easy way to introduce kidsContinue reading “Urban Gardening – Thoughts from a Soil Scientist”
Science Communication College Course Ideas
Hello all. Sorry I’ve been too busy to update the site with new posts recently. I’ve been putting in about 80 hour weeks every week this summer trying to keep up with all of the field work for my project in Alaska. Saying Alaska has a short field/growing season is definitely an understatement! Anyway, IContinue reading “Science Communication College Course Ideas”
My Alaska Research Adventure
This is the first of a series of blog posts I hope to post throughout the summer describing my research experiences at my field site in Alaska. I’m going to try and post once a week throughout the field season (June-August) about my experiences and experiments. Stay tuned, and follow along on either this blog,Continue reading “My Alaska Research Adventure”
Officially a Doctor
As of May 10, 2014 I am officially a doctor. After ten years of college I’m finally officially finished and now am a doctor of philosophy in soil science. It feels great to be finished. I want to give a special thanks to all of my family and friends that have supported me through gradContinue reading “Officially a Doctor”
Container Garden Water-Saving Tips From a Soil Scientist
Over the last year or so I’ve noticed a lot of websites, blogs, etc. offering water-saving techniques for container gardening. Some tips are useful and scientifically sound, but some are just plain wrong. As a person with a Ph.D. in soil science (and a minor in water resources), this drives me crazy. Because of that,Continue reading “Container Garden Water-Saving Tips From a Soil Scientist”
Soil Science in the News: Eating Dirt
I came across an interesting story from NPR today, entitled “The Old And Mysterious Practice Of Eating Dirt, Revealed“. It’s about the ancient practice of eating soil (or mineral deposits), often called Geophagy. I’ve heard about this practice in a few of the soil science classes I’ve taken over the years, and in a “WorldContinue reading “Soil Science in the News: Eating Dirt”
Top-Ranked Priority Research Questions for Soil Science in the 21st Century
In 2012 and 2013 I had the privilege to work with a fantastic group of graduate students on a project focused on identifying the top-ranked priority research questions for soil science in the 21st century. It was a great learning experience, and an opportunity for me to collaborate with fellow graduate students from all aroundContinue reading “Top-Ranked Priority Research Questions for Soil Science in the 21st Century”
Citizen Soil Science: Cropland Capture
If you’re looking for a fun game for your mobile device but want to help science at the same time, then I know the app for you. “Cropland Capture” is a fun game designed to help classify areas of land on our planet as either cropland or not cropland. With over 7 billion people onContinue reading “Citizen Soil Science: Cropland Capture”
Colby Digs Soil 