It’s Young Scientists’ Day: a nationwide hands-on event for anyone who loves to explore. Under this year’s theme, ‘Mysterious Soil!’, Barbara Maué, coordinator of the local ‘Haus der kleinen Forscher:innen Kreis Kleve’ network at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, together with Sandra Neumann and Ruth Minor, coordinators of sustainable education at the Tropenhaus, and Sandra Neumann and Ruth Minor from the Faculty of Life Sciences, to discover and explore the soil beneath our feet on the university campus.
Also in attendance were: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Kisters, Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at the university; Prof. Dr. Jens Gebauer, Professor of Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems, specialising in horticulture; and soil scientist Dr Conor Watson. Stefan Rouenhoff, a CDU Member of the Bundestag who has been following the activities of the ‘Haus der kleinen Forscher’ for some time, turned up on the day of the event to form his own impression of the Tropenhaus’s ‘Soil and Scent’ educational trail and the soil research carried out by the nursery children.
No sooner had he arrived than the nursery children rushed onto the barefoot soil trail in the Tropenhaus’s outdoor area: who could feel the lava stones or the bark mulch with their bare feet on the trail, having first felt them blindly with their hands inside small bags? Once the mystery had been solved, it was time to get to work with the large, small and digital magnifying glasses. For ten years now, the Evangelical Integrative Nursery in Goch has been an active member of the ‘House of Little Scientists’ programme – and is certified as such – thanks to the dedication of its two heads, Esther Müller and Dörthe Vermeulen, and their teams.
The children also tested how much water sandy or humus-rich soils can hold, working alongside the research-enthusiastic teachers Sandra Smetten and Nadine Beck, and thus discovered for themselves the answer to the question of why soils have different water-holding capacities. Emili (aged 6) then put her discovery into practice straight away whilst filling her flowerpot and explained to the visitors with authority: “And then I’ll put this soil in here, because it holds the water better, so my flowers can grow better!”
The adults supervising the children as they made their discoveries were impressed by the interest and perseverance of the young researchers, who were being guided in a collaborative manner: “I am delighted that the ‘Haus der kleinen Forscher’ in Kleve, with its training programmes, is proving so popular with educators from nursery and primary schools. After all, good, supportive learning guidance from nursery staff and teachers contributes significantly to children’s development,” said Stefan Rouenhoff, Member of the Bundestag. “Working together with educational institutions to create opportunities for young people to explore the world with fun and curiosity, actively investigating their own questions and ideas in a responsible manner – that is the aim of the university’s commitment – not just at the highest level but throughout the entire educational journey,” agreed Vice-President Peter Kisters, drawing attention to the wide range of programmes and projects the university offers for nurseries and schools.
To round off the event, the children were able to use different types of soil creatively: with great enthusiasm, they ground soil in colours ranging from black to ochre and red, and mixed it to create earth-coloured paints. The picture they created using the soil now hangs in the nursery – as a memento of the wonderful day of discovery.
Further information:
House of Little Researchers
