The Smell of Soil
by Rebecca Arnoldi

In fall of 2003, when not in the “Outdoor Classroom,” I spent a lot of time in New York City. This always helps me to see how fortunate we Bostonians are to have as much green space as we do. Lately, I have been thinking about our need, as human beings, to be in intimate contact with the earth.

One day, after several days in downtown Manhattan, I went to Brooklyn to visit a friend. We walked out in back of their building, and I smelled something familiar –
something I didn’t realize that I was desperately missing. A smile spread over my face, and I felt as if I had just arrived home. I realized that what I smelled was the small patch of soil in the vacant lot we stood beside.

I came back to Boston, and, together with my EarthWorks colleague Laura Doty, City Year volunteers, and public school students and teachers, explored the world of soil.
We walked around a class with paper bags and asked students to touch and smell
the mystery material. We told them that this mystery substance exists in every country
around the world, comes in a variety of colors and textures, is used in some places to build homes, and is necessary for us to grow the food we need. As they guessed what was in the bag, I felt more strongly than ever the truth of the soil’s importance to us.

This week, back in downtown New York, I walked down 5th Avenue and turned into the entrance of a building. I smelled that familiar smell again and saw beside me a patch of soil some gardeners were working on. I smiled and thought, “Even in New York City we can find the connection with nature we need if we look hard enough.” I thought it was mostly me who feels the need for this connection – as an environmentalist, naturalist and natureloving tree hugger. I thought most city dwellers would never feel this need so deeply.