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Transcript: It's Alive!
[Joyful music plays]
A child says, WHEE!
[Child giggling]
t.v.o. kids + Fifth Ground Entertainment Original
[Soft, gentle music plays]
An aerial view shows a lush forest. Text reads, T.V.O. Presents.
[Birds chirping]
Host Taviss narrates, THERE'S SOMETHING
IN THE FOREST
THAT WE OFTEN OVERLOOK.
She walks through the forest wearing a pink jacket and green pants.
She narrates, IT FEEDS THE FOREST
AND WITHOUT IT,
NOTHING WOULD GROW.
[Upbeat music plays]
The sun shines brightly through the trees.
Taviss continues, IT'S MADE OF
MICROSCOPIC MATERIALS
AND YET IT'S HUGE!
WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS?
She says aloud, LET'S GO FIND OUT!
She walks through the forest.
[Magical music plays]
The title appears within an image of a girl looking up at trees through a magnifying glass.
[Gentle, uplifting music plays]
Taviss narrates, TODAY I'M ON THE
TRADITIONAL LANDS
OF THE ANISHINAABEG PEOPLE
IN WHAT'S NOW KNOWN AS
THE JACK HAGGARTY FOREST.
Water rushes down a waterfall.
Taviss narrates, IT'S RIGHT NEAR THE CITY
OF THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO.
A sign reads, Thunder Bay Welcomes You. In the forest, a woman with long, dark brown hair smells a handful of soil.
Taviss narrates, THIS IS DR. AMANDA DIOCHON
AND DR. NATHAN BASILIKO.
Nathan pushes a shovel into the dirt. He wears a hard hat and high visibility safety vest.
Taviss continues, THEY ARE BOTH SCIENTISTS
AT LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY
AND AMANDA IS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE CANADIAN SOCIETY
OF SOIL SCIENCE.
SHE'S A BOSS!
Amanda smiles.
Taviss narrates, TOGETHER WE'RE GONNA DIG DEEP
TO DISCOVER TODAY'S SECRET:
SOIL!
She meets Nathan and Amanda on a trail.
Taviss narrates, THE SECRETS OF DIRT?
NOW I'VE HEARD IT ALL.
Amanda says, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SOIL AND DIRT.
DIRT IS WHAT I BRING HOME
AFTER A DAY AT WORK.
MY HANDS ARE DIRTY,
MY BOOTS ARE DIRTY, BUT SOIL?
THERE'S MINERAL MATERIAL
IN THERE
AND THERE'S ORGANIC MATTER.
IT'S ACTUALLY ALIVE.
An animation shows a soil creature rising from the ground.
The creature says, I'M ALIVE!
On the trail, Nathan, who has short, brown hair, grins.
He says, RECENTLY WE'VE BEEN LEARNING
THAT SOILS MIGHT BE
THE MOST BIODIVERSE HABITAT
ANYWHERE ON EARTH.
Amanda says, STUDYING SOIL
IS A REALLY BIG JOB
AND WE HAVE
A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER.
SO I THINK THE BEST PLAN TODAY
IS FOR US TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
Nathan says, I'M GOING TO GO FIND
THE PERFECT SPOT FOR A SOIL PIT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST WAYS
TO LEARN ABOUT SOIL.
Taviss says, I DIG THAT PLAN.
[Amanda laughing]
Nathan says, WE'LL SEE YOU LATER.
He walks into one side of the forest while Taviss and Amanda walk into the other.
[Gentle, playful music plays]
Taviss asks, IF IT'S NOT JUST DIRT,
WHAT IS SOIL MADE OF?
Amanda says, WELL, SOILS HAVE PARENTS
JUST LIKE US.
AND THAT PARENT
CAN BE WEATHERED ROCK.
IT CAN BE MATERIAL
THAT'S BEEN TRANSPORTED BY WIND.
AND THEN THE OTHER PARENT
IS, REALLY, ORGANIC MATTER.
An animation shows a glacier and a leaf. A bird with a stethoscope stands beside a basinet.
[Baby cooing]
The bird says, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU TWO!
IT'S A...
Soil pops up from the basinet.
[Soil cooing]
The bird doctor says, ...SOIL!
In the forest, Amanda says, AND THE THING THAT I REALLY,
REALLY LOVE ABOUT SOIL
IS IT'S LIKE A PUZZLE.
Taviss says, SO, HOW DO WE FIND
ALL THE PIECES
TO PUT THE SOIL PUZZLE TOGETHER?
Amanda says, WELL, TO DO THAT,
WE GOTTA GO GET A LITTLE DIRTY.
Taviss narrates, SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF SCIENCE.
An aerial view shows the lush trees of the forest.
Amanda says, WE'RE GONNA MAKE MUDSHAKES.
Taviss says, MUDSHAKES?!
NOW WE'RE TALKING!
An animation shows a tree slurping a brown drink.
[Slurping]
The tree says, AHH!
I WAS SO CRAVING THAT!
In the forest, Taviss and Amanda kneel on the ground.
Amanda says, SO, WHAT WE HAVE HERE
IS JUST THE LITTER.
She and Taviss clear away a small section of the forest floor.
[Rustling]
Amanda says, NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS KNIFE
SO WATCH YOUR HANDS.
BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE
CUTTING CAKE.
She cuts into the ground with a long knife.
Taviss says, CAKE? MUDSHAKES?
YEAH, I LIKE THIS.
She collects soil in a glass jar.
Amanda says, LET'S PULL THAT OUT
AND SEE WHAT WE GET.
She looks at Taviss’ jar, one quarter full of soil.
She says, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
LET'S ADD SOME WATER.
Taviss adds water to her jar of soil.
She asks, SHOULD WE GIVE IT A SHAKE?
Amanda says, YES!
She and Taviss shake their jars of soil and water.
[Sloshing]
Taviss cheers, MUDSHAKE!
[Long exhale]
Taviss looks at her mudshake mixture.
She says, OOH, IT'S LIKE
CHOCOLATE MILK.
Amanda says, IT SURE IS.
SO, ONCE IT STARTS TO SETTLE,
YOU CAN SEE THAT
THE ORGANIC MATTER IS STARTING
TO FLOAT UP TO THE TOP.
YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WHERE'S
THIS ORGANIC MATTER COME FROM?
BUT IT COMES FROM
THE NEEDLES
AND THE LEAVES AND THE BARK
AND THE ROOTS
AND MOST OF THE LITTER
THAT FALLS, IT'S AT THE SURFACE.
THEN, AS WE GO DEEPER
INTO THE SOIL,
WE'LL GET LESS AND LESS.
SO, YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR JAR,
YOU HAVE MINERAL MATERIAL
AT THE BOTTOM.
Taviss nods and says, MM-HMM.
Amanda continues, SO, ALREADY
THINGS ARE SETTLING OUT.
Taviss looks at her mudshake.
She says, THIS IS SO COOL!
Amanda says, IT IS COOL.
Taviss says, CHEERS.
Amanda says, CHEERS.
She taps her mudshake against Taviss’. Nathan joins them wearing his hard hat and safety vest.
He says, HEY, TEAM, I THINK I FOUND
THE PERFECT SPOT FOR A SOIL PIT.
YOU READY FOR SOME DIGGING?
Taviss and Amanda join Nathan elsewhere in the forest.
Taviss asks, SO, WHAT MAKES THIS
THE PERFECT SOIL PIT SPOT?
Nathan says, WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO ANY BIG TREES,
WE’RE NOT GOING TO HIT ANY BIG ROOTS
I DON’T THINK AND WE WON’T CAUSE TOO MUCH PAIN
TO THOSE TREES.
Taviss asks, BUT HOW BIG ARE WE TALKING?
Nathan says, WELL, TAVI, LET'S JUST SAY
WE BETTER GET STARTED.
He hands her a shovel.
[Exciting music plays]
Taviss, Nathan and Amanda start digging.
Nathan says, WE'RE GOING TO TRY
TO MAKE THIS PIT
ABOUT ONE METER ACROSS
BY ONE METER LONG,
AND WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN
TO ABOUT ONE METER DEEP.
Also known as Tavi, Taviss grunts, OKAY, TAV,
PUT YOUR LEGS INTO IT!
She shovels soil out of the pit.
[Gong reverberating]
Taviss narrates, IT'S TIME FOR:
A LITTLE KNOWN BUT STILL
TOTALLY TRUE AND AMAZING STORY.
ONCE UPON A TIME
IN 2018,
TWO SCIENTISTS WERE CONDUCTING
A SURVEY IN GREENLAND
WHEN THEY SPOTTED SOME SOIL.
THEY TOOK IT BACK TO THE LAB
AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS
AN ANCIENT SOIL
CALLED A PALEOSOL
AND IT WAS
AROUND 3.7 BILLION YEARS OLD!
A person looks through a microscope.
Taviss continues, THEY EVEN FOUND WHAT COULD BE
SIGNS OF LIVING ORGANISMS
MAKING THIS PALEOSOL
SOME OF THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE
OF LIFE ON LAND.
HOW'S THAT FOR A DISCOVERY?
THIS HAS BEEN:
A LITTLE KNOWN
BUT STILL TOTALLY TRUE
AND AMAZING STORY.
In the forest, Amanda joins Taviss in their soil pit.
She says, SO, THIS IS AN AWESOME SOIL PIT
AND THE FIRST THING
THAT I LIKE TO DO
IS TO HAVE A LOOK
AT THE HORIZONS.
Taviss asks, WHAT ARE HORIZONS?
Nathan explains, HORIZONS ARE
THE DIFFERENT LAYERS.
THINK OF THE WORD
HORIZON AND HORIZONTAL,
THE FLAT LAYERS
THAT YOU SEE IN THE SOIL.
SO, WHAT WE DO, TAVI,
IS WE TAKE THESE MARKERS
AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOW
THE DIFFERENT COLOURS CHANGE
AS YOU MOVE DOWN
IN THESE LAYERS
AND HOW THE DIFFERENT TEXTURE
AND THE FEEL OF THEM CHANGES?
He passes Taviss a bag of golf tees.
Taviss says, SO, I SEE A DIFFERENCE
RIGHT HERE.
She pushes a golf tee marker into a section of the soil, just below the surface of the pit.
She says, AND I THINK I SEE ONE
RIGHT HERE!
She points to another section of the pit.
Amanda says, WAY DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
Taviss says, RIGHT HERE!
Crouching, she pushes a marker into soil near the bottom of the pit. She jumps to her feet.
She cheers, WHOO!
Amanda says, SO, LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT
SOME OF THE COLOURS WE SEE
IN THE HORIZONS
THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.
WE'LL GRAB SOME UP HERE
CLOSE TO THE SURFACE.
She scoops soil out of the wall of the pit.
Taviss says, I THINK THAT'S THE
DARKEST ONE HERE.
Amanda says, I THINK SO, TOO, AND WHAT
DO YOU THINK MAKES IT DARK?
Nathan helps her pour the soil onto a notepad.
Taviss says, ORGANIC MATTER!
Amanda says, OH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
She scoops soil form a deeper layer of the pit.
She continues, AND THEN WE HAVE
OUR NEXT LAYER HERE.
Taviss says, THAT ONE'S A BIT LIGHTER.
Amanda says, IT IS.
She adds the soil to the notepad, beside the other soil.
Nathan says, TAVI, YOU DID A GOOD JOB
OF IDENTIFYING
THESE DIFFERENT HORIZONS.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE IT
ON THE WHITE PAPER
AND THEY'RE SIDE BY SIDE.
He points to four samples of soil on the notepad.
He says, IT GOES FROM BLACK
TO BROWN TO RED TO GREY.
Taviss says, LOOKS LIKE A RAINBOW CAKE!
Nathan says, IT SURE DOES.
Amanda says, HOW ABOUT YOU PICK
ONE OF THE HORIZONS
AND SEE IF YOU CAN
KEY OUT THE COLOUR.
Taviss looks excited. She flips through a book with Amanda.
Nathan explains, THIS COLOUR GUIDE WAS DEVISED
BY AN ART PROFESSOR IN THE 1800S
WHO USED SCIENCE
TO DESCRIBE DIFFERENT COLOURS.
AND NOW WE USE THIS COLOUR CHART
TO DESCRIBE SOILS.
IF YOU DON'T SEE IT,
TURN THE PAGE.
Taviss flips to another page in the guide.
Amanda says, PRETTY CLOSE.
Taviss taps a colour in the guide.
She says, I THINK THAT TAKES THE CAKE!
Amanda says, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
WHAT COLOUR IS IT?
Taviss reads, LIGHT OLIVE BROWN!
Amanda says, I LIKE IT.
Taviss says, YUMMY LIGHT OLIVE CAKE.
Amanda says, YOU BET.
Taviss narrates, I'M GONNA NEED TO
GET SOME CAKE AFTER THIS.
An animation shows different bugs on a cake made of soil.
A worm says, MMM, SOIL CAKE.
MY FAVOURITE!
In the soil pit, Taviss says, THIS IS FUN!
Amanda says, I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT
BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE IT, TOO.
Nathan says, ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT
SOIL PROPERTY IS THE TEXTURE.
SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU
THIS BOTTOM LAYER OF SOIL
AND PUT THAT IN YOUR HAND.
He pours light coloured soil from the notebook into Taviss’ hand.
He says, ADD A LITTLE WATER.
He squirts water over the soil.
He says, TRY TO MAKE THAT INTO A BALL.
IF YOU CAN MAKE IT INTO A BALL
IT MEANS IT'S NOT REALLY
A PURE SAND.
IT HAS SOME OTHER FINER
TEXTURED MATERIALS IN IT, TOO.
Taviss mixes the soil together between her hands.
Amanda says, NOW TAKE THAT BALL AND
DROP THAT BALL INTO YOUR HAND
AND DOES IT HOLD TOGETHER?
Taviss drops the ball into her hand.
She says, YEP!
Amanda says, IT SURE DOES.
NEXT, CAN YOU FORM IT
INTO A SNAKE SHAPE?
Taviss rolls the ball between her hands.
She says, I THINK IT'S WORKING.
As she rolls the soil, it falls out of her hands.
She says, OH, OH!
Amanda says, OH.
Taviss says, NOPE, I DON'T THINK IT WORKS.
Amanda says, NO, IT'S KIND OF FALLEN APART.
Nathan says, SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT
THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH CLAY,
THE FINEST PARTICLES OF SOIL.
THIS IS JUST
WHATEVER THE GLACIER LEFT BEHIND
WHEN IT RECEDED
IS WHAT THIS SOIL FORMED ON.
Taviss says, SO, THE GLACIER IS THE PARENT
OF THIS SOIL?
Nathan says, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD WAY
TO DESCRIBE IT.
Taviss says, SO THAT MEANS
THIS SOIL IS REALLY OLD.
Nathan says, IT IS.
IT EVEN MAKES ME FEEL YOUNG.
[Taviss chuckling]
[Exciting rock music plays]
Taviss walks across a bridge. Text reads, The Fun Factor.
Taviss cheers, YEAH, WE'RE GOING HIKING!
She carries an action camera.
She says, IF YOU'RE IN THE
THUNDER BAY DISTRICT IN ONTARIO,
YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT
THIS MINDBLOWING PIECE
OF OUR EARTH!
She runs down a trail and looks over a fence.
She says, WOW!
Taviss looks out at a lush forest in a canyon.
She says, OH, IT'S SO FAR DOWN.
Taviss shouts, I LOVE THE FOREST!
[Echoing]
[Gentle music plays]
In the soil pit, Taviss says, SO, WHEN YOU SAY SOIL
IS ALIVE,
DO YOU, LIKE, MEAN
BY COLOUR AND TEXTURE?
Amanda says, NO, I MEAN IT IS
LITERALLY ALIVE.
HOW ABOUT YOU GRAB
A HANDFUL OF SOIL?
Taviss grabs a handful of soil out of the pit.
She says, OKAY.
Amanda says, THAT SOIL,
THAT HANDFUL OF SOIL,
THERE ARE LITERALLY BILLIONS
OF MICROBES IN YOUR HAND.
Taviss drops her handful of soil.
[Taviss gasping]
Taviss narrates, AH!
WHY DIDN'T I WEAR GLOVES?
She says aloud, EW! THAT'S WEIRD!
Nathan says, THERE WERE PROBABLY MORE
TINY MICROORGANISMS
IN THAT HANDFUL OF SOIL
THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE ON EARTH.
An animation shows microorganisms in a patch of soil.
[Microorganisms chattering]
In the soil pit, Taviss asks, WHAT EVEN ARE MICROBES?
Nathan explains, MICROBES ARE THE
TINIEST LIFEFORMS
LIKE BACTERIA AND FUNGI
AND THEY CHEW THROUGH
THE ORGANIC MATTER IN THE SOIL.
Amanda adds, AND WHEN THEY CHEW THROUGH
THAT ORGANIC MATTER,
THEY RELEASE THE NUTRIENTS
THAT THE PLANTS NEED TO GROW.
Taviss says, WHOA, SO THEY'RE
DOING GOOD WORK.
Amanda nods. Taviss pulls a magnifying glass out of her pocket.
She triumphantly says, HA-HA!
She looks at the soil through her magnifying glass.
She says, WHERE ARE YOU,
LITTLE BUDDIES?
Nathan says, ACTUALLY, A MAGNIFYING GLASS
PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO
SEE TOO MANY OF THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOMETHING
WITH MORE POWER.
Taviss says, OH, SO WE'RE GOING TO
NEED TO GO UP A LEVEL.
Nathan nods. Later, he holds a device over a small amount of soil on a notepad.
He says, SO MOST OF THE MICROBES
IN THIS SOIL
ARE GOING TO BE TOO SMALL TO SEE
WITH THIS FIELD MICROSCOPE.
He looks at the microscope’s view of the soil on a tablet. .
He says, AND WE ARE REALLY LUCKY HERE
BECAUSE WE'RE ZOOMED IN
ON THIS LITTLE
WORMLIKE NEMATODE.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE
IT'S GOT A CLEAR BODY
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BITS OF SOIL
INSIDE IT THAT IT'S DIGESTING.
Taviss narrates, ARE YOU SEEING THIS?
THAT THING IS SEETHROUGH!
Amanda says, SO, ALL THESE ORGANISMS
ARE REALLY CRITICAL
TO BREAKING DOWN
THE ORGANIC MATTER,
TO RELEASE THOSE ELEMENTS
AND NUTRIENTS
BACK TO THE PLANTS
TO HELP THEM GROW.
Nathan says, BASICALLY, WHERE THERE'S SOIL,
THERE'S LIFE.
Taviss says, AND NOT ONLY GROWING
FROM THE SOIL,
BUT IN THE SOIL.
Amanda says, EXACTLY.
Taviss says, MAN, I'LL NEVER LOOK AT DIRT
I MEAN SOIL THE SAME WAY AGAIN.
Nathan says, GOOD CATCH, TAVI.
[Birds chirping]
An aerial view shows the forest.
[Serene music plays]
Taviss narrates, ALL OF THIS INCREDIBLE FOREST
COULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT SOIL.
SOIL, LIKE THE WHOLE
NATURAL WORLD AROUND US,
IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET,
IT'S A DEEP LAYERED WORLD
FULL OF MICROSCOPIC LIFE,
MINERALS AND HISTORY!
Taviss says aloud, THE SECRET IS OUT!
She lies on the ground.
She shouts, SOIL IS ALIVE!
[Uplifting music plays]
Text reads, Secrets of The Forest is grateful to work in the traditional territories of many different First Nations. We acknowledge their stewardship of these lands since time immemorial and our responsibility to ensure it is never forgotten.
End credits.
Directed by Melissa Peters.
Written by Celeste Koon.
Created by Melissa Peters, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka.
Produced by Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka.
Featuring Taviss Paula Millington Edwards with Amanda Diochon and Nathan Basiliko.
Logo: Fifth Ground Entertainment.
t.v.o. kids.
A child says, WHEE!
[Child giggling]
t.v.o. kids + Fifth Ground Entertainment Original
[Soft, gentle music plays]
An aerial view shows a lush forest. Text reads, T.V.O. Presents.
[Birds chirping]
Host Taviss narrates, THERE'S SOMETHING
IN THE FOREST
THAT WE OFTEN OVERLOOK.
She walks through the forest wearing a pink jacket and green pants.
She narrates, IT FEEDS THE FOREST
AND WITHOUT IT,
NOTHING WOULD GROW.
[Upbeat music plays]
The sun shines brightly through the trees.
Taviss continues, IT'S MADE OF
MICROSCOPIC MATERIALS
AND YET IT'S HUGE!
WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS?
She says aloud, LET'S GO FIND OUT!
She walks through the forest.
[Magical music plays]
The title appears within an image of a girl looking up at trees through a magnifying glass.
[Gentle, uplifting music plays]
Taviss narrates, TODAY I'M ON THE
TRADITIONAL LANDS
OF THE ANISHINAABEG PEOPLE
IN WHAT'S NOW KNOWN AS
THE JACK HAGGARTY FOREST.
Water rushes down a waterfall.
Taviss narrates, IT'S RIGHT NEAR THE CITY
OF THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO.
A sign reads, Thunder Bay Welcomes You. In the forest, a woman with long, dark brown hair smells a handful of soil.
Taviss narrates, THIS IS DR. AMANDA DIOCHON
AND DR. NATHAN BASILIKO.
Nathan pushes a shovel into the dirt. He wears a hard hat and high visibility safety vest.
Taviss continues, THEY ARE BOTH SCIENTISTS
AT LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY
AND AMANDA IS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE CANADIAN SOCIETY
OF SOIL SCIENCE.
SHE'S A BOSS!
Amanda smiles.
Taviss narrates, TOGETHER WE'RE GONNA DIG DEEP
TO DISCOVER TODAY'S SECRET:
SOIL!
She meets Nathan and Amanda on a trail.
Taviss narrates, THE SECRETS OF DIRT?
NOW I'VE HEARD IT ALL.
Amanda says, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SOIL AND DIRT.
DIRT IS WHAT I BRING HOME
AFTER A DAY AT WORK.
MY HANDS ARE DIRTY,
MY BOOTS ARE DIRTY, BUT SOIL?
THERE'S MINERAL MATERIAL
IN THERE
AND THERE'S ORGANIC MATTER.
IT'S ACTUALLY ALIVE.
An animation shows a soil creature rising from the ground.
The creature says, I'M ALIVE!
On the trail, Nathan, who has short, brown hair, grins.
He says, RECENTLY WE'VE BEEN LEARNING
THAT SOILS MIGHT BE
THE MOST BIODIVERSE HABITAT
ANYWHERE ON EARTH.
Amanda says, STUDYING SOIL
IS A REALLY BIG JOB
AND WE HAVE
A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER.
SO I THINK THE BEST PLAN TODAY
IS FOR US TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
Nathan says, I'M GOING TO GO FIND
THE PERFECT SPOT FOR A SOIL PIT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST WAYS
TO LEARN ABOUT SOIL.
Taviss says, I DIG THAT PLAN.
[Amanda laughing]
Nathan says, WE'LL SEE YOU LATER.
He walks into one side of the forest while Taviss and Amanda walk into the other.
[Gentle, playful music plays]
Taviss asks, IF IT'S NOT JUST DIRT,
WHAT IS SOIL MADE OF?
Amanda says, WELL, SOILS HAVE PARENTS
JUST LIKE US.
AND THAT PARENT
CAN BE WEATHERED ROCK.
IT CAN BE MATERIAL
THAT'S BEEN TRANSPORTED BY WIND.
AND THEN THE OTHER PARENT
IS, REALLY, ORGANIC MATTER.
An animation shows a glacier and a leaf. A bird with a stethoscope stands beside a basinet.
[Baby cooing]
The bird says, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU TWO!
IT'S A...
Soil pops up from the basinet.
[Soil cooing]
The bird doctor says, ...SOIL!
In the forest, Amanda says, AND THE THING THAT I REALLY,
REALLY LOVE ABOUT SOIL
IS IT'S LIKE A PUZZLE.
Taviss says, SO, HOW DO WE FIND
ALL THE PIECES
TO PUT THE SOIL PUZZLE TOGETHER?
Amanda says, WELL, TO DO THAT,
WE GOTTA GO GET A LITTLE DIRTY.
Taviss narrates, SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF SCIENCE.
An aerial view shows the lush trees of the forest.
Amanda says, WE'RE GONNA MAKE MUDSHAKES.
Taviss says, MUDSHAKES?!
NOW WE'RE TALKING!
An animation shows a tree slurping a brown drink.
[Slurping]
The tree says, AHH!
I WAS SO CRAVING THAT!
In the forest, Taviss and Amanda kneel on the ground.
Amanda says, SO, WHAT WE HAVE HERE
IS JUST THE LITTER.
She and Taviss clear away a small section of the forest floor.
[Rustling]
Amanda says, NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS KNIFE
SO WATCH YOUR HANDS.
BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE
CUTTING CAKE.
She cuts into the ground with a long knife.
Taviss says, CAKE? MUDSHAKES?
YEAH, I LIKE THIS.
She collects soil in a glass jar.
Amanda says, LET'S PULL THAT OUT
AND SEE WHAT WE GET.
She looks at Taviss’ jar, one quarter full of soil.
She says, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
LET'S ADD SOME WATER.
Taviss adds water to her jar of soil.
She asks, SHOULD WE GIVE IT A SHAKE?
Amanda says, YES!
She and Taviss shake their jars of soil and water.
[Sloshing]
Taviss cheers, MUDSHAKE!
[Long exhale]
Taviss looks at her mudshake mixture.
She says, OOH, IT'S LIKE
CHOCOLATE MILK.
Amanda says, IT SURE IS.
SO, ONCE IT STARTS TO SETTLE,
YOU CAN SEE THAT
THE ORGANIC MATTER IS STARTING
TO FLOAT UP TO THE TOP.
YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WHERE'S
THIS ORGANIC MATTER COME FROM?
BUT IT COMES FROM
THE NEEDLES
AND THE LEAVES AND THE BARK
AND THE ROOTS
AND MOST OF THE LITTER
THAT FALLS, IT'S AT THE SURFACE.
THEN, AS WE GO DEEPER
INTO THE SOIL,
WE'LL GET LESS AND LESS.
SO, YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR JAR,
YOU HAVE MINERAL MATERIAL
AT THE BOTTOM.
Taviss nods and says, MM-HMM.
Amanda continues, SO, ALREADY
THINGS ARE SETTLING OUT.
Taviss looks at her mudshake.
She says, THIS IS SO COOL!
Amanda says, IT IS COOL.
Taviss says, CHEERS.
Amanda says, CHEERS.
She taps her mudshake against Taviss’. Nathan joins them wearing his hard hat and safety vest.
He says, HEY, TEAM, I THINK I FOUND
THE PERFECT SPOT FOR A SOIL PIT.
YOU READY FOR SOME DIGGING?
Taviss and Amanda join Nathan elsewhere in the forest.
Taviss asks, SO, WHAT MAKES THIS
THE PERFECT SOIL PIT SPOT?
Nathan says, WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO ANY BIG TREES,
WE’RE NOT GOING TO HIT ANY BIG ROOTS
I DON’T THINK AND WE WON’T CAUSE TOO MUCH PAIN
TO THOSE TREES.
Taviss asks, BUT HOW BIG ARE WE TALKING?
Nathan says, WELL, TAVI, LET'S JUST SAY
WE BETTER GET STARTED.
He hands her a shovel.
[Exciting music plays]
Taviss, Nathan and Amanda start digging.
Nathan says, WE'RE GOING TO TRY
TO MAKE THIS PIT
ABOUT ONE METER ACROSS
BY ONE METER LONG,
AND WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN
TO ABOUT ONE METER DEEP.
Also known as Tavi, Taviss grunts, OKAY, TAV,
PUT YOUR LEGS INTO IT!
She shovels soil out of the pit.
[Gong reverberating]
Taviss narrates, IT'S TIME FOR:
A LITTLE KNOWN BUT STILL
TOTALLY TRUE AND AMAZING STORY.
ONCE UPON A TIME
IN 2018,
TWO SCIENTISTS WERE CONDUCTING
A SURVEY IN GREENLAND
WHEN THEY SPOTTED SOME SOIL.
THEY TOOK IT BACK TO THE LAB
AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS
AN ANCIENT SOIL
CALLED A PALEOSOL
AND IT WAS
AROUND 3.7 BILLION YEARS OLD!
A person looks through a microscope.
Taviss continues, THEY EVEN FOUND WHAT COULD BE
SIGNS OF LIVING ORGANISMS
MAKING THIS PALEOSOL
SOME OF THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE
OF LIFE ON LAND.
HOW'S THAT FOR A DISCOVERY?
THIS HAS BEEN:
A LITTLE KNOWN
BUT STILL TOTALLY TRUE
AND AMAZING STORY.
In the forest, Amanda joins Taviss in their soil pit.
She says, SO, THIS IS AN AWESOME SOIL PIT
AND THE FIRST THING
THAT I LIKE TO DO
IS TO HAVE A LOOK
AT THE HORIZONS.
Taviss asks, WHAT ARE HORIZONS?
Nathan explains, HORIZONS ARE
THE DIFFERENT LAYERS.
THINK OF THE WORD
HORIZON AND HORIZONTAL,
THE FLAT LAYERS
THAT YOU SEE IN THE SOIL.
SO, WHAT WE DO, TAVI,
IS WE TAKE THESE MARKERS
AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOW
THE DIFFERENT COLOURS CHANGE
AS YOU MOVE DOWN
IN THESE LAYERS
AND HOW THE DIFFERENT TEXTURE
AND THE FEEL OF THEM CHANGES?
He passes Taviss a bag of golf tees.
Taviss says, SO, I SEE A DIFFERENCE
RIGHT HERE.
She pushes a golf tee marker into a section of the soil, just below the surface of the pit.
She says, AND I THINK I SEE ONE
RIGHT HERE!
She points to another section of the pit.
Amanda says, WAY DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
Taviss says, RIGHT HERE!
Crouching, she pushes a marker into soil near the bottom of the pit. She jumps to her feet.
She cheers, WHOO!
Amanda says, SO, LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT
SOME OF THE COLOURS WE SEE
IN THE HORIZONS
THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.
WE'LL GRAB SOME UP HERE
CLOSE TO THE SURFACE.
She scoops soil out of the wall of the pit.
Taviss says, I THINK THAT'S THE
DARKEST ONE HERE.
Amanda says, I THINK SO, TOO, AND WHAT
DO YOU THINK MAKES IT DARK?
Nathan helps her pour the soil onto a notepad.
Taviss says, ORGANIC MATTER!
Amanda says, OH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
She scoops soil form a deeper layer of the pit.
She continues, AND THEN WE HAVE
OUR NEXT LAYER HERE.
Taviss says, THAT ONE'S A BIT LIGHTER.
Amanda says, IT IS.
She adds the soil to the notepad, beside the other soil.
Nathan says, TAVI, YOU DID A GOOD JOB
OF IDENTIFYING
THESE DIFFERENT HORIZONS.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE IT
ON THE WHITE PAPER
AND THEY'RE SIDE BY SIDE.
He points to four samples of soil on the notepad.
He says, IT GOES FROM BLACK
TO BROWN TO RED TO GREY.
Taviss says, LOOKS LIKE A RAINBOW CAKE!
Nathan says, IT SURE DOES.
Amanda says, HOW ABOUT YOU PICK
ONE OF THE HORIZONS
AND SEE IF YOU CAN
KEY OUT THE COLOUR.
Taviss looks excited. She flips through a book with Amanda.
Nathan explains, THIS COLOUR GUIDE WAS DEVISED
BY AN ART PROFESSOR IN THE 1800S
WHO USED SCIENCE
TO DESCRIBE DIFFERENT COLOURS.
AND NOW WE USE THIS COLOUR CHART
TO DESCRIBE SOILS.
IF YOU DON'T SEE IT,
TURN THE PAGE.
Taviss flips to another page in the guide.
Amanda says, PRETTY CLOSE.
Taviss taps a colour in the guide.
She says, I THINK THAT TAKES THE CAKE!
Amanda says, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
WHAT COLOUR IS IT?
Taviss reads, LIGHT OLIVE BROWN!
Amanda says, I LIKE IT.
Taviss says, YUMMY LIGHT OLIVE CAKE.
Amanda says, YOU BET.
Taviss narrates, I'M GONNA NEED TO
GET SOME CAKE AFTER THIS.
An animation shows different bugs on a cake made of soil.
A worm says, MMM, SOIL CAKE.
MY FAVOURITE!
In the soil pit, Taviss says, THIS IS FUN!
Amanda says, I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT
BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE IT, TOO.
Nathan says, ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT
SOIL PROPERTY IS THE TEXTURE.
SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU
THIS BOTTOM LAYER OF SOIL
AND PUT THAT IN YOUR HAND.
He pours light coloured soil from the notebook into Taviss’ hand.
He says, ADD A LITTLE WATER.
He squirts water over the soil.
He says, TRY TO MAKE THAT INTO A BALL.
IF YOU CAN MAKE IT INTO A BALL
IT MEANS IT'S NOT REALLY
A PURE SAND.
IT HAS SOME OTHER FINER
TEXTURED MATERIALS IN IT, TOO.
Taviss mixes the soil together between her hands.
Amanda says, NOW TAKE THAT BALL AND
DROP THAT BALL INTO YOUR HAND
AND DOES IT HOLD TOGETHER?
Taviss drops the ball into her hand.
She says, YEP!
Amanda says, IT SURE DOES.
NEXT, CAN YOU FORM IT
INTO A SNAKE SHAPE?
Taviss rolls the ball between her hands.
She says, I THINK IT'S WORKING.
As she rolls the soil, it falls out of her hands.
She says, OH, OH!
Amanda says, OH.
Taviss says, NOPE, I DON'T THINK IT WORKS.
Amanda says, NO, IT'S KIND OF FALLEN APART.
Nathan says, SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT
THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH CLAY,
THE FINEST PARTICLES OF SOIL.
THIS IS JUST
WHATEVER THE GLACIER LEFT BEHIND
WHEN IT RECEDED
IS WHAT THIS SOIL FORMED ON.
Taviss says, SO, THE GLACIER IS THE PARENT
OF THIS SOIL?
Nathan says, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD WAY
TO DESCRIBE IT.
Taviss says, SO THAT MEANS
THIS SOIL IS REALLY OLD.
Nathan says, IT IS.
IT EVEN MAKES ME FEEL YOUNG.
[Taviss chuckling]
[Exciting rock music plays]
Taviss walks across a bridge. Text reads, The Fun Factor.
Taviss cheers, YEAH, WE'RE GOING HIKING!
She carries an action camera.
She says, IF YOU'RE IN THE
THUNDER BAY DISTRICT IN ONTARIO,
YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT
THIS MINDBLOWING PIECE
OF OUR EARTH!
She runs down a trail and looks over a fence.
She says, WOW!
Taviss looks out at a lush forest in a canyon.
She says, OH, IT'S SO FAR DOWN.
Taviss shouts, I LOVE THE FOREST!
[Echoing]
[Gentle music plays]
In the soil pit, Taviss says, SO, WHEN YOU SAY SOIL
IS ALIVE,
DO YOU, LIKE, MEAN
BY COLOUR AND TEXTURE?
Amanda says, NO, I MEAN IT IS
LITERALLY ALIVE.
HOW ABOUT YOU GRAB
A HANDFUL OF SOIL?
Taviss grabs a handful of soil out of the pit.
She says, OKAY.
Amanda says, THAT SOIL,
THAT HANDFUL OF SOIL,
THERE ARE LITERALLY BILLIONS
OF MICROBES IN YOUR HAND.
Taviss drops her handful of soil.
[Taviss gasping]
Taviss narrates, AH!
WHY DIDN'T I WEAR GLOVES?
She says aloud, EW! THAT'S WEIRD!
Nathan says, THERE WERE PROBABLY MORE
TINY MICROORGANISMS
IN THAT HANDFUL OF SOIL
THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE ON EARTH.
An animation shows microorganisms in a patch of soil.
[Microorganisms chattering]
In the soil pit, Taviss asks, WHAT EVEN ARE MICROBES?
Nathan explains, MICROBES ARE THE
TINIEST LIFEFORMS
LIKE BACTERIA AND FUNGI
AND THEY CHEW THROUGH
THE ORGANIC MATTER IN THE SOIL.
Amanda adds, AND WHEN THEY CHEW THROUGH
THAT ORGANIC MATTER,
THEY RELEASE THE NUTRIENTS
THAT THE PLANTS NEED TO GROW.
Taviss says, WHOA, SO THEY'RE
DOING GOOD WORK.
Amanda nods. Taviss pulls a magnifying glass out of her pocket.
She triumphantly says, HA-HA!
She looks at the soil through her magnifying glass.
She says, WHERE ARE YOU,
LITTLE BUDDIES?
Nathan says, ACTUALLY, A MAGNIFYING GLASS
PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO
SEE TOO MANY OF THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOMETHING
WITH MORE POWER.
Taviss says, OH, SO WE'RE GOING TO
NEED TO GO UP A LEVEL.
Nathan nods. Later, he holds a device over a small amount of soil on a notepad.
He says, SO MOST OF THE MICROBES
IN THIS SOIL
ARE GOING TO BE TOO SMALL TO SEE
WITH THIS FIELD MICROSCOPE.
He looks at the microscope’s view of the soil on a tablet. .
He says, AND WE ARE REALLY LUCKY HERE
BECAUSE WE'RE ZOOMED IN
ON THIS LITTLE
WORMLIKE NEMATODE.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE
IT'S GOT A CLEAR BODY
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BITS OF SOIL
INSIDE IT THAT IT'S DIGESTING.
Taviss narrates, ARE YOU SEEING THIS?
THAT THING IS SEETHROUGH!
Amanda says, SO, ALL THESE ORGANISMS
ARE REALLY CRITICAL
TO BREAKING DOWN
THE ORGANIC MATTER,
TO RELEASE THOSE ELEMENTS
AND NUTRIENTS
BACK TO THE PLANTS
TO HELP THEM GROW.
Nathan says, BASICALLY, WHERE THERE'S SOIL,
THERE'S LIFE.
Taviss says, AND NOT ONLY GROWING
FROM THE SOIL,
BUT IN THE SOIL.
Amanda says, EXACTLY.
Taviss says, MAN, I'LL NEVER LOOK AT DIRT
I MEAN SOIL THE SAME WAY AGAIN.
Nathan says, GOOD CATCH, TAVI.
[Birds chirping]
An aerial view shows the forest.
[Serene music plays]
Taviss narrates, ALL OF THIS INCREDIBLE FOREST
COULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT SOIL.
SOIL, LIKE THE WHOLE
NATURAL WORLD AROUND US,
IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET,
IT'S A DEEP LAYERED WORLD
FULL OF MICROSCOPIC LIFE,
MINERALS AND HISTORY!
Taviss says aloud, THE SECRET IS OUT!
She lies on the ground.
She shouts, SOIL IS ALIVE!
[Uplifting music plays]
Text reads, Secrets of The Forest is grateful to work in the traditional territories of many different First Nations. We acknowledge their stewardship of these lands since time immemorial and our responsibility to ensure it is never forgotten.
End credits.
Directed by Melissa Peters.
Written by Celeste Koon.
Created by Melissa Peters, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka.
Produced by Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka.
Featuring Taviss Paula Millington Edwards with Amanda Diochon and Nathan Basiliko.
Logo: Fifth Ground Entertainment.
t.v.o. kids.
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