Virginia Tech students, part of Team USA, won first prize at the International Soil Judging Contest, held in Stirling, Scotland, in July.
This marks the fourth consecutive win for the U.S. team.
In the individual competition, Virginia Tech’s Clare Tallamy brought home first place honors, with Ben Atkins winning third.
The contest is designed to promote soil science, educating students in field description, classification and interpretation of soil profiles.
Upon arrival in Scotland, participants had a practice day. Local experts showed off a variety of soils, explaining the local geology, soil variety, and soil genesis.
“The contest was an excellent opportunity for the students to meet other young soil scientists from around the world, to learn about the soils of south-central Scotland,” said John Galbraith, coach of Team USA and Virginia Tech professor. “This event created new friendships and relationships that will last well into the future. Everyone did well, and everyone is a winner.”
The next international contest will be held in 2026 in Nanjing, China.