SoilTiles
Project
SOILTILES – Creating a Crowdsourced Soil Map of Bulgaria
A project part of SoilMe: Connecting Soil Culture and Community
Date
2026-
Websitedigitalspaces.info/soiltiles
The aim of the SoilTiles research project is for the first time ever, to try to create a crowdsourced soil map of a country, in this case Bulgaria, displaying its amazing variety and diversity of soils. SoilTiles is a project by Yavor Yordanov (National Soil Survey) and Stavri Nikolov (Digital Spaces Living Lab).
This will be done through asking people across Bulgaria to capture geo-located photos of 'their soil', i.e. the soil of the place where they live, with their mobile phones, share them and contribute to building such a dynamic soil map of Bulgaria.
The gradual creation of this crowd-sourced soil map of Bulgaria will be documented and visualised here from November 2026 and exhibited at the First Bulgarian Soil Festival in the spring of 2027 in Sofia.
Below is the main workflow of capturing the geolocated soil images and creating the SoilTiles map of Bulgaria:
SoilMe
Project
SoilMe: Connecting Soil Culture and Community
The SoilMe project is part of the Bulgarian Soils and Arts Orchestra
Location
Sofia, Bulgaria
Date
2026-2027
SoilMe is a cultural and participatory initiative that connects art, science, and community engagement to raise awareness about soil as a vital resource for life. The project will culminate in a public festival in Sofia featuring an exhibition, workshops, lectures, documentary screenings, and interactive experiences such as a Soil Bar, alongside a national teaser campaign and a crowdsourced digital soil map. By translating scientific knowledge into creative and accessible formats, SoilMe aims to increase soil literacy, engage diverse audiences, and foster collaboration between artists, scientists, and local communities. The project contributes to the objectives of the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” by encouraging greater public understanding, dialogue, and long-term commitment to soil protection and sustainable practices.
SoilMe Partners
Digital Spaces Living Lab
SoilMe: Connecting Soil Culture and Community. This sub-project has received funding from the SOILSCAPE project (Grant Agreement no. 10115651) through its Open Call, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
