November 2025 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 27
Visitors can journey underground at Soil Alive! exhibition
Just below our feet, there is
a universe that is busy, active,
and alive.
The High Desert Museum
invites visitors of all ages to
explore the interconnected, underground world of soil in the
original exhibition – Soil Alive!
Soil is made from minerals,
air, water, and decaying bits of
organisms. But soil is not just a
bed of crunched up rocks and
other materials. Soil is alive.
Presented in English and
Spanish, Soil Alive! is a family-friendly, interactive exhibition, taking visitors on a
subterranean journey. On the
way, they will encounter mycorrhizal networks, burrowing
animals and microscopic organisms.
“Soil Alive! beckons visitors
underground to explore a world
that is hidden from sight,” Museum Executive Director Dana
Whitelaw said. “We wanted to
convey the excitement of this
habitat, so people learn that
soil is a living, breathing and
busy world that is integral to
the health and stability of our
ecosystem.”
Like fingerprints, every region’s soil is unique. Many
factors inform a soil’s individual
characteristics. These factors
can range from volcanic eruptions and historic floods to
droughts, snowfall and wildfires. Soil also is the result of living organisms, which perform a
delicate exchange of moisture,
nutrients, and sugar.
It’s this idea that Soil Alive!
hopes to communicate above
any other, that healthy soils are
the result of thousands of relationships. These relationships
are seemingly endless: between
ponderosa pine tree roots and
mycorrhizal networks; between
pygmy rabbits and sagebrush
shrubs; between farmers and
ground-nesting bees; between
soil crusts and native grasses;
and between beavers and cattails. The relationships transform simple dirt into living soil.
Located in the museum’s
Brooks Gallery, the exhibition
will be organized into four
sections, or landscapes: the
Ponderosa Pine Forest, Sagebrush Steppe, Alfalfa Seed Field
and Flooded Wetlands. Each of
the landscapes has a Soil Ambassador, a cute creature who
welcomes visitors and guides
them on their underground
adventure. The Beaver, Alkali
Bee, Pygmy Rabbit and Pogie
the Fungus will show off their
homes in the High Desert.
Dim light and amplified soil
sounds recorded from underground such as clicks and rustling will greet families as they
enter a tunnel-like passageway,
giving the illusion that they are
traveling underground.
Visitors will learn about
the four landscapes, meet the
ambassador animals, and discover different types of soil
before venturing deeper into
the gallery.
The exhibition itself is
packed with interactive, handson elements that allow visitors
to see, touch, hear and even
smell life underground. From
soil recipes and smell stations to
digital experiences, families will
learn that no matter what the
individual characteristics may
be, all soils have one important
thing in common: They form
the foundation of the West’s
ecosystems.
In the Sagebrush Steppe, a
giant magnifying glass can be
pointed at a wall-sized digital
illustration, enlarging soil areas
and illuminating organisms living in the biotic crust or living
layer of the soil. Information
bubbles pop into view as the
Pygmy Rabbit, who lives below
the sagebrush plants, explains
Soil Alive! is a family-friendly, interactive exhibition that takes visitors on a subterranean journey.
that while the soil is dry, it
grows some of the rabbit’s favorite foods including shrubs
and flowers.
Over in the Ponderosa Pine
Forest, Pogie the Fungus will
encourage visitors to help mycelium “arms” connect their
home in one root system to a
ponderosa sapling nearby using
hand gestures. The motion-activated, wall-sized feature illustrates how the fungi give
the tree nutrients and water in
return for sugar. As a result, the
sapling and mycelium flourish
on screen.
In addition to showcasing the
wonders of this subterranean
community, Soil Alive! digs
into the issue of invasive species
such as the jumping worm and
cheatgrass.
Jumping worms eat the
top layer of the soil, turning
the soil’s texture into coffee
grounds, which causes the
soil to lose moisture. Invasive
plants such as cheatgrass have
shallow roots, stealing moisture
from the soil’s top layer. Visitors will learn how to protect
and conserve soil, including
staying on designated trails,
growing native plants and letting those pesky piles of fallen
leaves become homes for small
mammals and insects.
Soil Alive! promises to be a
captivating and enlightening
experience for museum visitors
of all ages, offering a glimpse
into a subterranean universe
full of activity and brimming
with life.
Soil Alive! is open through
March 29 and included with
museum admission.
The museum is located about
10 minutes north of Sunriver
along Highway 97.
For hours and more information, visit www.highdesertmu
seum.org.
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NOVEMBER 2025 SUNRIVER SCENE
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