Take the "Soil" Your Undies Challenge!

Two smiling women holding up a pair of white underwear in a room with other people and a TV in the background.

A pair of white underwear and animal bones on dry ground.

The Southern Rhode Island Conservation District invites you to participate in the “Soil" Your Undies Challenge! Undies, what!? This challenge is designed to test the microbial activity in soil.

How it works - you bury a pair of new 100% cotton underwear in your yard, crop, pasture, or forestland and leave it for 60 days. Dig it up after 60 days and the more the underwear is deteriorated - the healthier your soil!

In the photo above, you can see the remnants of the underwear that had been buried at a farm in Rhode Island – just the elastic bands are left which means the microbes in the soil broke down all the cotton. This is a testament to the health of the soil and the healthy ecosystem of worms and microbes that live in the soil. Soil isn't just dirt, it's alive!

This challenge is in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Learn more about the challenge!

Take a BEFORE and AFTER photo and/or video of your buried undies and tag us on Facebook (@SouthernRhodeIslandConservationDistrict).

Need a pair of undies? Stop by our Fresh Harvest Kitchen located in the plaza at 9 East Avenue in Westerly or contact Gina Fuller at gfuller@sricd.org.

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