Study Visit in Poland: Caring for the Soil Together
Between September and October 2025, municipalities, academic institutions, and civil society organizations from Poland and Italy came together under the SoilTribes Twinning Programme to exchange knowledge and practices on sustainable soil management. The study visits, hosted in Michałowice and Scafati, highlighted how local communities and researchers can collaborate to restore soils, protect biodiversity, and strengthen climate resilience.
Building Bridges Across Europe
The initiative brought together representatives from Michałowice Municipality, Scafati Municipality, the Politecnico di Milano, and the European Rural Development Network (ERDN). Through reciprocal visits, participants explored diverse approaches to soil restoration and circular economy practices.
- School visits showcasing energy-efficient infrastructure and eco-education. Farm demonstrations on sustainable agriculture and soil-friendly cultivation.
- Community planting events, such as the creation of a Miyawaki Forest in Opacz-Kolonia, symbolizing collective climate action.
- Workshops and civic dialogues, engaging educators, NGOs, and local citizens.
The visits directly advanced the EU Mission Soil’s priorities. They addressed land degradation and desertification, promoted the conservation and increase of soil organic carbon stocks, encouraged the reuse of urban soils while preventing net soil sealing, and worked to reduce soil pollution while enhancing restoration.
A central focus of the study visits was soil literacy, empowering citizens to understand and care for soils through diverse methods. Awareness-raising campaigns were carried out through social media, posters, and local media, while creative eco-events such as exhibitions, planting festivals, and cultural workshops brought soil issues closer to the public.
Participatory processes engaged schools, NGOs, and municipalities in hands-on activities, and innovative solutions were tested in practice, including composting, greening urban spaces, and promoting soil biodiversity.
As the Miyawaki Forest in Opacz-Kolonia grows, it stands as a living symbol of what can be achieved when municipalities, academia, and citizens work together.
