Newswise — The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced a $1 million gift in the name of the Nutrients for Life Foundation to the Smithsonian Institution for an exhibition about soils at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
Through this donation, TFI and Nutrients for Life will be the designated lead sponsors of this exhibit, scheduled to open in July 2008 at the Natural History Museum, the most visited natural history museum in the world. The 5,000 square foot soils exhibit is being developed by the Smithsonian in partnership with the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and is designed to increase the level of public awareness about the important role of soils in our world by educating visitors about the many ways soil is essential to human life.
"Fertilizer is an integral component in aiding soils' role in environmental health and food security," said TFI and Nutrients for Life President Ford B. West. "Through our sponsorship of the exhibit, we hope the museum's more than 6 million visitors annually will gain a greater appreciation of the role modern agriculture plays in sustaining healthy soils."
The soils exhibit, which will occupy one hall of the museum, will be on display in Washington, D.C., until January 2010 after which it may go on a three to four year National Tour through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Features of the exhibit will include interactive games, videos and other activities to demonstrate to visitors the vital link between soil and the health of mankind, the environment and our planet.
The exhibit will also include a display of soil monoliths from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Related publications and Web activities will reach millions of additional people.
Other exhibit partners include SSSA, the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management and several U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies including the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
"Given Nutrients for Life's work to better educate the public and policymakers about the tremendous role fertilizers play in improving peoples' lives, the Smithsonian exhibit provides an ideal opportunity to promote science-based messages about agriculture to millions of museum visitors each year," said West.
TFI encourages additional public and private support of this project; the project Web site is www.soils.org.smithsonian where the latest news on the exhibit, including a two-minute video, is available for viewing.
The Fertilizer Institute represents the nation's fertilizer industry. Producers, retailers, trading firms and equipment manufacturers which comprise its membership are served by a full time Washington, D.C., staff in various legislative, educational and technical areas as well as with information and public relations programs.
The Nutrients for Life Foundation was formed to disseminate educational information to the general public, including policy makers, about fertilizers, modern agriculture and the role plant nutrients serve in improving people's lives. The Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit: http://www.nutrientsforlife.org.
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) www.agronomy.org, the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) www.crops.org and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) www.soils.org are educational organizations helping their 11,000+ members advance the disciplines and practices of agronomy, crop and soil sciences by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives, and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.
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