
Quote
for Thought
“It is the land – founded on soil but interwoven with life and processes
above and below it – that ultimately sustains us.”
H.H.
Jansen, et al, CSA News, April 2011
Announcements
Updated 2/6/12
Vacancy
Announcement
Wetland Soil Specialist
2012 Annual Meeting
4th
International Conference on Soil Classification
National
Cooperative Soil Survey News – November 2011
From
the Surface Down –
2nd Edition
Wetland Soil
Specialists (2) - Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign,
Illinois. Primary function is to
identify and record hydric soil field indicators, make hydric soil
determinations (according to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual
(including applicable regional supplements and Field Indicators of Hydric Soils
in the US), interpret surface hydrology, and determine the boundaries of hydric
soil units during on-site wetland determinations. Assist with the delineation of wetlands by analyzing
soils and hydrology in IDOT project areas. Salary range is $35,000-$50,000,
commensurate with experience. For full
position announcement and to apply, create a candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload
cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and contact
information for three references Deadline: February 24, 2012. If any questions, please email
hroffice@inhs.illinois.edu. The
University is an AA-EEO, www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu.
2012 Annual Meeting – Save the Date!
The ISCA Annual Meeting is set for March 17th at the
Forbes Building, home of the Illinois Natural History Survey, on the University
of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Campus. Dr.
Mike Konen from Northern Illinois University will be our featured speaker. Watch the web page and Newsletter for more
details.
Soil Stories! – NRCS in South Carolina has
released a film about people’s relationship with the soil. Check it out at: http://vimeo.com/channels/soilstories
Field Indicators of
Hydric Soils in the United States Version 7.0, – The
update of the Hydric Soils booklet was released in late 2010. Copies of the publication can be obtained
through LANDCARE, the NRCS publications center by calling 888-526-3227. One may also download the publication by
clicking the following link Hydric
Soil Indicators ver 7.0 .
ASK a Soil
Classifier – If you have a question (either general or specific) about soils and
would like an answer from a Professional Soil Classifier, click on the
following link and e-mail your question.
Ask
a Soil Classifier
Soil Classifier
Mentor Program – If you desire experience in soil classification and wish to work with
or correspond with a Professional Soil Classifier mentor, ISCA can help you get
connected to a Soil Classifier in your local area. Click on the following link to express your
interest: Soil
Classifier Mentor Program
Soil
Data on Google –
The following link will take you to NCSS laboratory point
database portrayed as hotlinks on Google Maps throughout the nation
and world. The point database contains
many of the lab samples that have been gathered and analyzed from way
back. This is also posted on the opening
page of http://soils.usda.gov
ISCA
on Facebook: ISCA is
now on Facebook. Come and be our
friend. Post messages, questions, upload
photos and join in on discussions about soil with your fellow ISCA members! Go to Facebook.com and login. Search for the group Illinois Soil
Classifiers Association. We’re
there! If you don’t have a Facebook
account, now you have a reason to set one up.
It’s easy. See you there.
ISCA
Publishes “Understanding Soils” Brochure:
A new brochure titled “Illinois – Understanding
Soils” was published by ISCA in cooperation with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service in March 2010. This
brochure provides an excellent synopsis of the soil forming factors, processes
involved in soil formation and the major properties and features of soil. Click on the link above for a pdf
version. These brochures are great for
teachers, farmers, homeowners and others who want a more in-depth understanding
of soils. Contact Roger Windhorn in
Champaign, Jennifer Wollenweber in Aurora, or Mark Bramstedt in Watseka if you
desire a quantity of these brochures to hand to your clients.
The 11th
Edition of the 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/ . The Keys are in PDF
format and suitable for download and printing locally.