Welcome to Love Your Soil, a site dedicated to education and services focused on the wonderful world of soil microorganisms and their superpowers in food production and Earth regeneration.
My name is Sandra Tuszynska (think two shins (in a) car). I am an agricultural scientist who specialises in soil microbiology with a focus on soil fungi (mycology). My research has focused on biodegradation of pesticides in cotton field soil at Sydney University, followed by PhD research on the effects of heavy metals on the cellular biology of root symbiotic (mycorrhizal) fungi at the University of NSW. I then studied the regulation of phosphate, carbohydrate and heavy metal uptake and transfer in mycorrhizal fungi at Rutgers University of New Jersey.
More recently I have become fascinated with the microorganisms comprising the soil food web and how these key players ensure plant nutrition and immunity, soil health, water retention and carbon sequestration among other benefits. As a result I have completed the certified lab program with Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web School.
One of my greatest passions is science communication, devoting much of my time on community education about the importance of fungi in ecosystems and soil biodiversity in soil restoration. The services I provide include community and school education including seminars and workshops, helping gardeners, food producers and land managers to improve their soils and grow chemical free foods, and bush regenerators to restore habitats. I also lead citizen science engagements like the
