Kirsten Kurtz, Manager of The Cornell Soil Health Laboratory (CSHL), MS graduate from the Dept of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University, and internationally recognized soil painter will discuss “Soil in the Lab and on the Canvas”. This talk will include an overview of measuring and quantifying soil health through the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH),  including a behind the scenes look into some of the unique apparatuses used in the CSHL. Kurtz will also discuss her MS research, which focused on assessing remnant tallgrass prairie soils against adjacent active agricultural soils in order to determine the degree and type of soil degradation which occurred. Additional objectives included providing a target for future soil remediation efforts. Finally Kurtz will discuss her soil art and public soil painting events. These events, held around the country, have been recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and are used to raise the profile of soil science with the public.