How to create your baseline testing map

We recommend watching all four videos before creating your testing map.

Are you a landowner considering rebuilding bio-diverse living environments?

Or somebody who is already successfully working to improve life’s abundance?

If yes, then you need to follow the step-by-step method explained in this video.

The first thing you need to do is to create a representative sampling map of your property,

And how do you do that?

You need to collect enough information and samples to create a credible and validated report about the environment contained within the mapped boundaries and have the samples tested by a soil laboratory.

Remember, the more diversity a property has the more samples may be required to create a true appraisal of a living environment, and if all the land looks alike, then less samples may be required.

First you are going to require a map of your property.

Then you will need to draw a line around your boundaries.

Next step, you are going to draw on the map a line around each of the different environmental types on your property from our list.

Forest and or scrubby bush
Grassland
Waters
Excluded areas

Now stop and think about which areas on your property best represent its overall condition and soil types.

You must conduct a minimum of one of each type of environmental evaluation and as many samples as it takes to create a good evaluation of your property. If your project size is under 50 m across just do the best you can within the space, you have. If your property is very large, collect and evaluate enough samples to show its overall condition.

You can then mark and number the approximate locations onto the map with clearly marked dots for Common Carbon Content Sample Collection, above and below ground, and lines for 50 m of Environmental Evaluation. No samples should be taken from excluded areas.

You only need to conduct the sampling that is appropriate for your environment.

When you visit each location, you have marked on your map you will be required to record the following information on your paper or printable data sheet, longitude, latitude, day, month, year, and the map sample location number, then photograph handheld GPS with location visible on screen and of any identifiable landmarks. For example, hills, mountains, buildings, or a tree.

Calculate the total area of each type of environment in square meters to the best of your ability and the total area included in the project.

Preparing the map should also include the location of any large easy to see landmark on the property, mountain, hills, buildings, roads etc.

Retesting or testing annually shall be carried out on as close to practical to the anniversary of the first baseline testing data collection date, in a year of good improvements.

The last thing you must do is to take a selfie of the person doing the job, this needs to be uploaded with all the other photos.

Congratulations this is the end of part one the below ground soil and organic sampling is to be collected at the same time and location as the aboveground sample.