Research remains strong in Britain

January 6, 2014

Van Walt Ltd is delighted to support research in Britain and, as importantly, future scientists who will be undertaking that soil research in the future.  That’s why we have been pleased to support both the Quaternary Research Association (QRA) and Soil Association in 2013.

The QRA is an organisation comprising archaeologists, botanists, civil engineers, geographers, geologists, soil scientists, zoologists and others interested in research into the problems of the Quaternary. The majority of members reside in Great Britain, but its membership is international, including most European countries, North America, Africa and Australasia.

The QRA was founded in 1964 as the Quaternary Field Study Group and its name was changed to the Quaternary Research Association in 1968. Today the QRA has a membership of over 1000, with a large and thriving postgraduate student membership. The QRA has an active meetings programme, including the Annual Discussion Meeting each January, field meetings, usually held in April and May or September and the annual Postgraduate Symposium – which is the event we sponsor.

This year Van Walt was pleased to be among all those bright young minds at the University of Southampton for the 18th Annual Postgraduate Symposium of the QRA. On the much anticipated fieldtrip to the New Forest National Park to look at raised beaches and ombrotrophic peatlands we demonstrated our coring equipment before enjoying ice-cream & New Forest cider!

For the British Society of Soil Science we supported their ‘Working with Soil: Foundation skills in field soil investigation and description’ programme. Delegates that attended learned how to expose a soil profile by digging and or using our augers; how to consistently describe the principal properties a soil horizon by colour, hand texturing, structure and consistency, porosity and pedogenic features and identify the principal soil materials and horizon types.

By supplying a range of different Edelman, Riverside and Gouge augers we were able to help delegates understand the equipment required for field soil description and also safe working practices in the field, including using the right auger head for the soil conditions, ergonomic augering sets and bi-partite augers, different connection types and additional tools.

The conclusion of working with these two associations is that it is good to know that despite rising fees and the seduction of higher paid jobs in industry, there is a new generation of academics ready to follow in the footsteps of the old and wise. British Research still counts very highly on the international circuit so it’s important we support them as well as we can.

Visit our soil augering pages:  Hand Augers, Soil Core Samplers, Undisturbed Soil Sampling and Soil Sampling Accessories on www.vanwalt.com.