Hello, my name is Dr Agnieszka Piwowarczyk. This is my first ever GoFund me campaign, so I do not really know what to say. In a nutshell - I am a Soil Scientist; my background is Environmental Science (MSc) and Biosystems Engineering (PhD). I am originally from Poland but I Ireland is my home now. English is not my mother language but this did not stop me from having a track record of papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and books, also from winning awards at scientific conferences, all in English :)

Knowing that language can be an obstacle to learning and sharing, I have developed a great passion (and need) for sharing my own expertise using a language that everyone can understand, especially children. It is not about being smart, it is about wanting to have a positive impact on people’s lives and the environment, and thus the idea for my NEW soil book series really came along (and a soil theatre). The first book I drafted in 2009 but it is too smart, too academic, using a language that not all the children will be m able to ''digest. The NEW SERIES use an abstract approach but are still science based.

The main objective of the soil book series is to tell a story about soil and soil microbes in particular, the living things that we can not see with the naked eye but our daily life depends on. It is about the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, it is about the future we should protect for us and all the generations to come after us. Our health and the health of our environment start with the soil.

Alongside the book series, I have developed a theatrical play based on the story from the books. It is a multidimensional experience; a rabbit hole allowing children to experience and explore the soil in a way they would have never had otherwise.

The play itself is also going to help me to finish the Book no. 1 of the series Soil is not Dirt, helping me to create the much-needed illustrations for the book.....

..... and this is where I need your help. The funds will be used to run a number of theatrical workshops allowing me to generate illustrations for the book (books) and to get the first book published (I consider self publishing).

Your support would be greatly appreciated. Lets protect what gives us life - thank you from the bottom of my heart.