24.02.2026
Citizen Science with School Children: Soilcast Podcast Interview "An die Schaufeln, fertig, los!"
Citizen Science with school children, Soilcast Interview "An die Schaufeln, fertig, los!" with Steffen Seitz, Jennifer Raffler, and Thomas Scholten on a joint citizen science and education project with the Hector Children Academy
In collaboration with the Hector Kinderakademien and the Soil Science and Geomorphology Group at the University of Tübingen, the course "An die Schaufeln, fertig, los!" (Shovels ready, go!) was developed for gifted primary school children. In this Soilcast podcast episode (published December 23, 2025), host Christoph speaks with Jennifer Raffler (Hector Institute), Prof. Dr. Thomas Scholten, and PD Dr. Steffen Seitz about combining soil science, gifted education, and citizen science. The children actively collect real research data, including the Tea-Bag-Index, which contributes directly to studies on soil health, organic matter decomposition, and climate impacts on carbon storage.
The project demonstrates why children are outstanding young scientists: their curiosity, drive to explore, and insightful questions add unique value to soil research.
Listen to the full interview (45 minutes): → https://soilcast.de/interview/sc175-interview-an-die-schaufeln-fertig-los/
More information on the Hector Kinderakademien: → https://hector-kinderakademie.de
Download the full interview PDF: →Hector-Kinderakademie_Interview_Citizen-Science.pdf
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