The Soil Tunnel Trailer is a self-contained, 12’ x 8.5’ enclosed trailer featuring soils and the interactions of our natural resources underground. The professional design, inside and outside, brings the world of soil to life by giving the appearance of being in an underground tunnel. One wall of the trailer illustrates the natural history of soil with 3-D worms, roots, and other organisms. The other wall shows human impacts on soil, such as toxic waste and septic system contamination. The top of the trailer holds eye-catching, hand-made replicas of native prairie and wetland plants, and the exterior displayed hand-painted soil profile horizons. The Soil Tunnel Trailer serves as a handicap accessible, walk-through learning tool and backdrop for a variety of lessons at schools, field days, county fairs and other events. It is designed to be applicable for visitors of all ages.
Thanks to creativity of former Miami County Conservation District employee and funding from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (through Clean Water Neighbor Grant) ,No-Till on the Plains, KFRM Radio -550 AM, Kansas Soybean Commission and Agriland as well as generous donations from the Douglas, Franklin, Montgomery, Crawford, Lane, Osage and Wyandotte County Conservation Districts the original Soil Tunnel Trailer came to life in 2010. Kansas Association of Conservation Districts took over ownership and expenses of the trailer in 2023. Each County Conservation District is now the point of contact for requests and scheduling for events within their county.
Thanks to creativity of former Miami County Conservation District employee and funding from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (through Clean Water Neighbor Grant) ,No-Till on the Plains, KFRM Radio -550 AM, Kansas Soybean Commission and Agriland as well as generous donations from the Douglas, Franklin, Montgomery, Crawford, Lane, Osage and Wyandotte County Conservation Districts the original Soil Tunnel Trailer came to life in 2010. Kansas Association of Conservation Districts took over ownership and expenses of the trailer in 2023. Each County Conservation District is now the point of contact for requests and scheduling for events within their county.
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The professional artist who made our vision of a traveling museum focused on soil come to life was Randall Bennett of Tall Grass Museum Services in Lawrence, Kansas. Randall fabricates dioramas, murals, sculptures, and illustrations. He has completed most of the exhibits in the Flint Hills Museum, Clinton Lake Visitors Center, Hillsdale Lake Visitor Center, and the Dry Tortugas National Park-Sea Turtle Exhibit.
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