57  Group Check In 03NOV2025

Date: November 3, 2025

57.1 Attendees

  • Adam Devlin
  • Nora Pearson
  • Kasia Ulanowski
  • Brianna Hayward
  • Genevieve Saldibar
  • Ava McCune

57.2 Twin Cities Urban Soil Survey Update (Adam)

Field Season Progress

  • Completed 167th site of the season last week
  • Field season wrapping up after Pig’s Eye, islands, and lake sampling with county and forestry staff

Upcoming Meetings and Collaborations

  • Meeting with Olivia Jensen (soil health specialist from the county) on Tuesday, November 4 at 9am
  • Discussion topics: soil survey end users, organizational applications, and water quality improvements
  • Potential to add interpretations for urban soil uses and limitations ratings
  • Interested attendees: Nora (tentative due to meeting conflict), Brianna, and Gen
  • Action: Adam will reach out about recording the meeting and add team members

Battle Creek Park Project

  • Planning pre-application sampling at Battle Creek Park prairie restoration site
  • County will be adding biochar to the site
  • Data will contribute to soil survey
  • Timeline: Not this week, but soon

Capitol View Site

  • Capitol View revisit scheduled for Thursday
  • Testing samples for petroleum sheen using water suspension method (NPCA protocol)
  • Planning to PXRF samples
  • Considering grid sampling, though may not have sufficient people and time
  • Potential to establish additional sampling points beyond initial three

Forestry Collaboration

  • Planning similar meeting with forestry staff
  • Alicia interested in learning about Urban Soil Survey and forestry interpretations

57.3 Homeowner Report Development (Kasia)

Report Design and Content

  • Draft homeowner report being developed for soil testing project participants
  • Focus on accessible language and clear communication
  • Design includes pictures and simple layout
  • Will provide information on soil contaminants, particularly lead

Key Decisions and Feedback

  • Team agreed on less alarmist language approach
  • Report should not cause unnecessary alarm while still being informative
  • Recommendation: Add section explaining how participant contribution helps the project
  • Report positioning as University of Minnesota-affiliated, not NRCS/USDA-branded

Outstanding Questions

  • Clarification needed on NRCS/USDA affiliation in report materials
  • Concern about tying federal agencies to specific data or lab reports
  • Data goes into USDA database but specific results not published individually
  • Soil Data Explorer can show representative pedon locations
  • Question about whether to include USDA NRCS logo alongside Minnesota logo

Action Items

  • Nora will ask Nic about USDA/NRCS affiliation guidelines during Tuesday morning meeting
  • Need to determine appropriate language about data privacy and coordinate sharing
  • Report to be finalized and cleaned up shortly
  • Reference materials folder contains previous documentation on PXRF contaminant analysis

Team Feedback

  • Positive response to design, font, and color choices
  • Previous documentation from Nora on lead analysis included
  • Decision to exclude exchangeable potassium and nitrogen data (more relevant for cardboard mulch soil health project)

57.4 Data Entry Updates (Ava)

  • Goal to get database running soon for data entry
  • Primary data entry team: Mes, Brianna, and potentially Gen
  • Ava experiencing roadblocks with raster work