Story and characters created by Brad Harrison. Illustrations by Rodgon.

Published by USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Des Moines, 

Iowa. For additional copies, please call 515-284-4262.

An equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Great 

Soil Discovery
After what we learned from the Whobuddies, it’s great seeing 

everyone working together helping to improve our watershed!

Hi kids! 

Looks like you are 

having a lot of fun, 

doing great work. 

Can we help too?
We were just on our way 

back to headquarters 

and thought we would 

stop by to see you. 

We’ve missed you!

It looks like you have all been busy working 

hard for conservation. You are doing such a 

great job. Thank you for helping us!

Ninox, could you use 

your scanner to look at 

our watershed? We want 

to see how it’s doing?

Certainly! 

That’s a 

fantastic idea. 

Let me get 

my scanner 

turned on.

(Beep, Beep)

Okay, let’s 

take a look!
According to this scan, your 

watershed has improved 

overall thanks to your hard 

work. 

But Ninox, it looks 

like we still have a 

problem over there.

You are right kids. Good catch! Why don’t you 

go with Bubo to check it out. The scan looks like 

it’s a soil problem and that’s his specialty!
There is a major soil problem going 

on here kids. The plants are unhealthy 

because the soil is unhealthy.

When the soil is unprotected the rain 

water can carry it into a stream making 

the water very dirty.
Disturbing the soil too much reduces 

organic matter, increases compaction, 

and leaves it unprotected.

Unprotected and unhealthy soil

is more prone to erosion.
Soil is Amazing! It is full of living activity. All plants and 

animals need soil everyday to live. There are things all of us 

can do to improve soil health and prevent soil erosion. 

Let’s discover together what can be done to help the soil.

Adding organic matter to soil 

provides habitat for all the 

micro-organisms.

Limiting compaction will help make room for plant roots to 

grow and soil organisms to live.
Less soil disturbance 

means more organic 

matter which equals 

better soil health.

Keeping the soil covered protects it from 

wind and water erosion.

Slowing down rain water runoff in the 

watershed helps stop soil erosion.
Hi Bubo! Hi kids! Glad to 

see you dudes made it 

back. We are just finishing 

up here.

Bubo helped us discover how 

important soil health is for plants 

 and stopping 

 erosion.
And remember! All 

our natural resources 

are connected and 

depend on each other.

By helping the soil you also helped the plants, 

water, animals, air and energy. We are heading 

back to headquarters now. Maybe you all can 

come and visit sometime?
Hey Kids! See if you can 

discover the correct soil 

words in this Whobuddies 

search game.

S S O I L S E K K F

E A B A C T E R I A

I T R E E S U G I I

D Y N O I S O R E R

D E C O S Y S T E M

U V Y G R E N E I I

B U B O R O O T S G

O M A S T N A L P N

H B R E T A W Z G U

W N B B S Y N E G F

BUBO, WATER, SOIL, ENERGY, AIR, BACTERIA, 

ROOTS, ECOSYSTEM, PLANTS, TREES, 

WHOBUDDIES, EROSION, FUNGI

What causes 

unhealthy soil?

Why is it 

better to have 

healthy soil?