Director The Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California, United States
We present Life for the Loam, a serious game about the role of biodiversity in maintaining soil health. Players introduce creature cards depicting important soil microbes and invertebrates to improve their soil's Structure, Nutrients, and Food Web, fend off voracious pests, and compete to have the healthiest soil of all. After completing the game, students will understand the importance of biodiversity and trophic structure in soil health and be able to predict the properties of hypothetical soil ecosystems. The game is available as both a print-and-play and online port, and includes a slide deck and assessment exercises.
.jpg "Maxwell Summit Helmberger photo")