SoftProtestDigest - User contributions [en]

File:Umwelt visuel.jpg

2025-09-17T12:16:41Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Umwelt visuel.jpg

Main Page

2025-09-17T07:58:36Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* PROJECTS */

{{Infobox
|title = The Soft Protest Digest
|image = [[File:1200px-The-soft-protest-digest-signature_square.png|250px|thumb|center]]
|param0 = Signature of “The Soft Protest Digest”
|subtitle1 = Background information
|param1 = France, Denmark
|param2 = 2018 to 2023
|param3 = Nickie Sigurdsson Robin Bantigny-Pernot Jérémie Rentien Lando
|param4 = [https://www.instagram.com/thesoftprotestdigest/ Instagram]
|param7 = [https://www.thesoftprotestdigest.org/website Showcase website]
|param5 = [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest Soundcloud]
|param6 = [mailto:“thesoftprotestdigest@gmail.com” thesoftprotestdigest@gmail.com]
|param8 = +33(0)687747011
|param9 = [https://soundcloud.com/fanfarefanfarefanfare/tetatet-11-the-soft-protest-digest/ Listen to radio interview]
}}

[[The Soft Protest Digest:About|The Soft Protest Digest]] was an art and research collective founded by Danish artist and gardener Nickie Sigurdsson, with French designers and artists Robin Bantigny and Jérémie Rentien Lando.

The collective is using different narratives to test how food culture, in the context of climate change, is created and altered. Calling on the use of fictional traditions, multi-species storytellings, publishing, the landscape and local knowledge; the collective believes that stories create kinship and allies, much needed in a time of environmental breakdown, in order to imagine and realise liveable futures.

== EDITIONS ==

As of today The Soft Protest Digest has been focusing its efforts on three different areas which have led to several context-specific editions.
=== [https://openstudios2021.janvaneyck.nl/participants/the-soft-protest-digest Ardennes edition 🇳🇱🇧🇪🇩🇪🇫🇷] (October 2020 to September 2021) ===
#[[Landscape, soil, cheese and me]]
#[[The cheese ripening initiative]]
=== [[Noord-Holland (North Holland) edition 🇳🇱]] (January and October 2019) ===
#[[The Soft Protest, re-chewing & Digest]]
#[[The immersive table (five recipes)]]
#[[Waarom beginnen met Stamppot?]]
=== France edition 🇫🇷 ===
#[[Santons: People of the grass]] (2024-)
#[[Preparation of a naked soil strip, Inauguration of a naked soil strip]] (August 2020)
#[[Spore & Pollen]] (November 2019)
#[[Saint-Étienne edition 🇫🇷]] (April 2019)
#[[Bourgueil edition 🇫🇷]] (June 2018)

== PROJECTS ==

The Soft Protest Digest has been developing its research and dishes through several public events (workshops, exhibitions, residencies).

* [[The cheese ripening initiative]] (2021)
* [[Landscape, soil, cheese and me]] (2021)
* [[Headwaters]] (2021)
* [[The Container]] (2021)
* [[The Almond]] (2020)
* [[Preparation of a naked soil strip, Inauguration of a naked soil strip]] (2020)
* [[Soak until soft]] (2020)
* [[Spore & Pollen]] (2019)
* [[The Soft Protest, re-chewing & Digest]] (2019)
* [[The immersive table (five recipes)]] (2019)
* [[Waarom beginnen met Stamppot?]] (2018)
* [[The Confident]] (2018)

Ongoing research projects of the Soft Protest Digest, aside from public events.

* [[Microscopic observation archives]] (2021-)
* [[Cheese production archives]] (2019-)

== DISHES ==

Hereunder, an exhaustive list of the dishes designed by The Soft Protest Digest.

* [[ Almond]]
* [[ Solitary bee bread]]
* [[ Spore]]
* [[ Pollen]]
* [[ Grutto, weidevogel]]
* [[ Rumen, digestive system]]
* [[ Het Groene Hart]]
* [[ Le Tissé Chaud ]]
* [[ Bokkenvlaai ]]
* [[ Gepofte aardappel haring ]]
* [[ Lunetten kroket ]]
* [[ Koningsdag wortel tompoes ]]
* [[ Queen of Night, calvinistisch brood ]]
* [[ Ecology of the dutch + Rhizosphere ]]
* [[ Stamppot pies ]]
* [[ Sneeuw eieren ]]
* [[ extra: Sour Doc. ]]
* [[ The Confident ]]

== EVALUATING THE RESILIENCY ==
Hereunder, the tool used by the collective to evaluate the environmental and cultural resiliency of various products and dishes.

* [[ The Soft Protest Digest's evaluation tool V.1 ]]
* [[ How to get the informations you need? ]]

== PUBLICATIONS & PODCASTS ==

* 🔊 “[[Supporting the reproduction of pollinators through a garden dance]]” — Podcast (~40 min) 🇬🇧🇫🇷 (with cider producer Christhian Toullec and traditional dance teacher Yuna Postic)
* 🔊 “[[An open-source bee for a poisonous environment]]” (with beekeeper and biologist Julien Perrin) — Podcast (~35min) 🇬🇧🇫🇷
* 📖 “[[Choose or constrain, the reasons of The Soft Protest Digest]]” — Article published in design magazine Azimut 🇬🇧🇫🇷
* 🔊 [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest/what-about-co2-grazing-cows/ “What about CO2 grazing cows?”] (with organic dairy farmer C. van Rijn) — Podcast (~1 hour) 🇬🇧
* 🔊 [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest/potato-gepofte-aardappel-haring/ “Potato - Gepofte aardappel haring”] — Podcast (~5 min) 🇬🇧
* 🔊 [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest/goat-milk-bokkenvlaai/ “Goat milk - Bokkenvlaai”] — Podcast (~5 min) 🇬🇧
* 🔊 [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest/cauliflower-lunetten-kroket/ “Cauliflower - Lunetten kroket”] — Podcast (~5 min) 🇬🇧
* 🔊 [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest/the-carrot-koningsdag-wortel-tompoes/ “The Carrot - Koningsdag wortel tompoes”] — Podcast (~5 min) 🇬🇧
* 🔊 [https://soundcloud.com/thesoftprotestdigest/queen-of-night-calvinistisch-brood/ “Bread - Queen of Night, calvinistisch brood”] — Podcast (~5 min) 🇬🇧

== FACTS & INFORMATION ==

* 🔍 [[ Overall impact of the 40 most produced foods on the environment ]]
* 🔍 [[ Reading the organic label is not enough! ]]
* [[🐟 Fishing series: How to better farm the ocean? A look at “restorative ocean farming”]]
* [[🐟 Fishing series: From the fishing rod to ultra-productive fish farms]]
* [[🐟 Fishing series: A few climate conscious guidelines to buying fish]]
* [[🐟 Fishing series: How fishing plays a part in the collapse of our climate]]
* [[🐟 Fishing series: The scandal of electric fishing]]
* [[🌎 How the USA lost the Earth?]]
* [[🛢💸 The real deal about Carbon Pricing]]
* [[☔️ Water series: The primordial soup of life: oceans water]]
* [[☔️ Water series: Interactions of flora with water and climate]]
* [[☔️ Water series: How mankind uses water? From food to energy]]
* [[☔️ Water series: Future extreme dynamics of water use]]
* [[ The what-how-why of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) ]]
* [[ The Nyéléni declaration ]]

== RESEARCH FEED (follow our [https://www.instagram.com/thesoftprotestdigest/ Instagram] for more) ==

* [[🐝 Bee series: What are actually honey and pollen?]]
* [[🐝 Bee series: On wax and the dance of the bee]]
* [[🐝 Bee series: Worker, explorer, nurse, queen bee…]]
* [[🐝 Bee series: What about queen bee?]]
* [[🐝 Bee series: On the bee and its relationship with other pollinators]]
* [[🐝 Bee series: On the decline of the bee]]
* [[“A little awareness cannot hurt”: Albert Heijn, 2019.]]
* [[Umwelt of the bee]]
* [[A summer Île de France edition, 3]]
* [[A summer Île de France edition, 2]]
* [[A summer Île de France edition, 1]]
* [[3 scenarios: the possible futures of the cow|3 scenarios: the possible futures of the cow]]
* [[The conservation of milk in India|The conservation of milk in India]]
* [[From grass to nutrients, a journey into the cow's digestive system|From grass to nutrients, a journey into the cow's digestive system]]
* [[How does CO2 contribute to a healthy ecosystem and how to store it back into the soil?|How does CO2 contribute to a healthy ecosystem and how to store it back into the soil?]]
* [[The history of the dutch dairy industry and the impact of its lobbies|On the history of the dutch dairy industry and the impact of its lobbies]]
* [[ Livestock’s long shadow ]]
* [[ On the relationship between plants and CO2 ]]
* [[ The effects of fresh water dams ]]
* [[ Vittel, or how to claim sovereignty of water ]]
* [[ About eroded soils: our contemporary deserts ]]
* [[ Call for a new European Common Agricultural Policy - Citoyens français ]]
* [[ Call for a new European Common Agricultural Policy - EU citizens ]]
* [[ Call for a new European Common Agricultural Policy ]]
* [[ Les courses - ride 2 ]]
* [[ Accepting a technological future of food in the Netherlands ]]
* [[ Free vegetable stock! ]]
* [[ Les courses - ride 1 ]]
* [[ 2019 Paris International Agricultural Salon ]]
* [[ Lab grown meat in NL ]]
* [[ The Low food symposium ]]
* [[ A satanic pie: the “vlaai” ]]
* [[ The monopoly of the orange carrot ]]
* [[ La “galette des rois”, the royal cake ]]
* [[ About Carbon, part-2 ]]
* [[ About Carbon, part-1 ]]
* [[ On “Nepeiren”, or fake-eggs ]]
* [[ On “Nepvis”, or fake-fish ]]
* [[ On foraging ]]
* [[ “Pomona”, the first vegetarian restaurant in the Netherlands ]]
* [[ Giant dutch pancakes! ]]
* [[ A soy bean's point of view: teaming up with Monsanto for World domination ]]
* [[ Dutch cannibalism ]]
* [[ A dutch christmas scandal ]]
* [[ About our good old shiny red tomato ]]
* [[ The voedselbos, the food forest ]]
* [[ About sea water potatoes ]]
* [[ About the Netherlands ]]
* [[ About the orange carrot ]]
* [[ Importation of phosphate in the Netherlands ]]

File:Global-biomass-distribution taxa-environments 2018.jpg

2025-09-17T07:46:14Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Global-biomass-distribution taxa-environments 2018.jpg

Microscopic observation archives

2025-09-17T07:41:11Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Baermann funnel: 50g of soil and demineralised water */

[[File:Global-biomass-distribution_taxa-environments_2018.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Diagrams sourced from The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo.]]
By considering the biomass<ref>See the article The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (25) 6506-6511; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711842115. source: https://www.pnas.org/content/115/25/6506</ref> and lifespan superiority of some microscopic beings in comparison to us human beings, we can look outside of our mammals’ bubble for a moment. Thus, we reach the bubble of decomposers, beings who make life on this planet possible, out of our sight. Without them, our world is rotten forever, since they recycle everything that was, once, alive. As well as pollinators allow plants to reproduce, decomposers transform organic matter in mineral food for plants, the basic trophic level of most ecosystems.

They are everywhere, and we domesticated some of them to produce our own food, from cheese to bread and wine. However, as apex predators, we exist only because they sustain themselves since millions of years.

Characteristics of the microscope used for this exploration:
[[File:BresserBioDiscover.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Microscope used for our researches.]]
* Type: Biological-/ Stereo-type microscope
* Model: BRESSER BioDiscover
* Year of production: 2007
* Magnification table:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Eypiece !! Objective !! Magnification !! with Barlow lens
|-
| 5x || 4x || 20x || 40x
|-
| 5x || 10x || 50x || 100x
|-
| 5x || 40x || 200x || 400x
|-
| 16x || 4x || 64x || 128x
|-
| 16x || 10x || 160x || 320x
|-
| 16x || 40x || 640x || 1280x
|}

==November 2020 | Blue Ardenne collect==
[[File:Nov2020_Blue-Ardenne_hike-map.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|[[The Soft Protest Digest:About|The Soft Protest Digest]] followed this path to explore a glimpse of the Blue Ardenne.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Context of collect !! Date of collect !! Date of observation !! Items observed
|-
| Hike in the Blue Ardenne || 16th of November 2020 || January 2021 || Fungi<ref name="ressource">Identified when possible with the help of internet ressources (Wikipedia and [https://mushroomobserver.org/ The Mushroom Observer] or others).</ref> and small animals crawling in samples.
|}
<hr>
===Observations made while hiking===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Map of the visited area.|
File:Amanita_muscaria.jpg|
File:Clavulinopsis_aurantiocinnabarina.jpg|
File:Fomes_fomentarius-1.jpg|
File:Fomes_fomentarius-2.jpg|
File:Polyporaceae_corda_unidentified.jpg|
File:Meruliaceae_unidentified.jpg|
File:Hypoxylaceae_unindentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Amanita muscaria || Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina || Fomes fomentarius old || Fomes fomentarius young || Polyporaceae corda || Meruliaceae || Hypoxylaceae
|}
<hr>
===Fungi (mycelium organ) grown on mushroom===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Hypoxylacae_on_mushroom_sample.jpg|
File:Hypoxylacae_conidium.jpg|
File:Hypoxylacae-and-Penicillium-conidiums.jpg|
File:Tyrophagus_putrescentiae-1.jpg|
File:Tenebrionidae-family_unidentified.jpg|
File:Beetle-wing_unidentified.jpg|
File:Fungi-on-beetle_unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Macroscopic view of the observed sample || Hypoxylacae conidium || Hypoxylacae and Penicillium conidiums || Tyrophagus putrescentiae || Tenebrionidae family || Beetle wing || Fungi on beetle
|}
<hr>

===Lichen <ref>Composite organism made of algae/cyanobacteria living among filaments of fungi.</ref>===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Hypoxylacae_and_Evernia-genus_sample.jpg|
File:Evernia-genus_unidentified-1.jpg|
File:Evernia-genus_unidentified-2.jpg|
File:Mushroom-gills_unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Macroscopic view of the observed sample || EEvernia genus lichen || Evernia genus lichen || Mushroom alveolar gills
|}

==April 2021 | Hoeve de Koeberg soil analysis==
[[File:Koeberg_grasslandscape.jpeg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Landscape next to the pasture where the soil was sampled.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Context of collect !! Date of collect !! Date of observation !! Items observed
|-
| Soil analysis of milk providers: 1 hectare grassland next to the farm's main barn || 19th of April 2021 || April 2021 || Microscopic fungi and animals, macroscopic insects <ref name="ressource"/> crawling in samples.
|}
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Koeberg_grassland-biodiversity.JPG|
File:Koeberg_soil-structure.JPG|
</gallery>
<hr>

===Trowel sampling: 16 small 10cm deep samples===

20.04-26.04 — Samples bend together in plastic bag for a total of 1kg
* All macro-animals out of the total:
**3 cuts of medium earthworms, 2 blacks 1 white (anecics species?)
**1 cut of small earthworm (epigeic species?)
**2 small earthworms alive, brown and pinkish (epigeic species?)
**1 small short earthworm alive (or medium cut?)
**1 Acari sp. alive

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Koeberg_soil-sample_earthworms.JPG|
File:Acari_unidentified.JPG|
</gallery>

20.04 — 20g extracted and mixed with 100g demineralised water:
*First look right to left at 64x: no movement but lots of worm shaped things.
*Too much organic matter to get clear views: try with lower concentration.
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Actinobacteria_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Actinobacteria_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Bacterial-colony_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Mycelium-fungi_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Nematode-remains_unidentified.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-1.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-2.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Actinobacteria x2pic || Bacterial colony x2pic || Mycelium from fungi x3pic || Nematode remains || Soil organic structure x2pic
|}

26.04 — 10g extracted for 110g demineralised water:
*First (yellow) look right to left at 64x and 160x: no movement but good texture of organic matter.
*Second (pink) look random at 200x: lots of fungi bits and good bacterial aggregates.
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Fungi_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-4.JPG|
File:Nematode-remains_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-3.JPG|
File:Zygomicota-fungi_unidentified.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Various unidentified fungi x4pic || Nematode remains || Soil organic structure || Zygomicota fungi
|}
<hr>

===Pitfall trap: one 365mL jar in the center of the pasture===
[[File:Koeberg_pitfall-trap.JPG|thumb|Thumbnailed image|View of the trap after 2 nights.]]
19.04 — Process:
#Dig a hole of the jar's size.
#Put in that hole an opened jar/container filed at 1/3 with water + drop of alcool.
#Assemble 4 wood nails with a flat plastic container lid to elevate it when lying on the floor.
#Cover the trap with this “roof” (to prevent vertebrates to fall in) which nails will be stick in the ground.
#Wait for 2 nights.
#Get back the jar filed with macrofauna and store it in the fridge (6 days).
26.04 — Results:
*26 unidentified small Coleopteras of Bembidion genus all alive (3mm, oblong shape, black)
*2 unidentified medium Coleopteras of Phyllophaga genus, 1 alive (5-6mm, round shape, striped elytra, black)
*1 unidentified big Coleoptera of Amara genus (8mm, oblong shape, striped body, black)
*3 unidentified ants of same specie (2mm, brownish)
*2 unidentified small spiders (2-3mm, high greenish)
*3 unidentified big Coleopteras of Dermaptera order (12-15mm, long body, marked head-thorax limit, black)
*3 unidentified big spiders (7-8mm, big brownish)

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Bembidion-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Bembidion-genus_beetle-2.JPG|
File:Amara-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Amara-genus_beetle-2.JPG|
File:Ant_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Ant_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-5.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-6.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-3.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-4.JPG|
File:Spider-big_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Spider-big_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Spider-small_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Spider-small_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Pitfall-trap_animals-samping.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Bembidion genus beetle x2pic || Amara genus beetle x2pic || Unidentified ant x2pic || Insect of Dermaptera order x5pic || Phyllophaga genus beetle x3pic || Big unidentified spider x2pic || Small unidentified spider x2pic || Bembidion genus beetle dominance
|}
<hr>

===Baermann funnel: 50g of soil and demineralised water===
26.04 — Process:
#50g of soil in gauze attached to the border of a funnel.
#The end of the funnel is sealed with plastic over a jar.
#Demineralised water is poured until top fennel to let the nematodes fall in the funnel.
#The jar is used a day later to collect the nematodes by piercing the plastic.
27.04 — Results by looking from right to left at 64x:
* 1 unidentified rotifer moving around
* Fungi bits and bacterial aggregates

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Rotifera-phylum unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Unidentified Rotifera picture
|}

==Notes==

Microscopic observation archives

2025-09-17T07:40:32Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Trowel sampling: 16 small 10cm deep samples */

[[File:Global-biomass-distribution_taxa-environments_2018.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Diagrams sourced from The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo.]]
By considering the biomass<ref>See the article The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (25) 6506-6511; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711842115. source: https://www.pnas.org/content/115/25/6506</ref> and lifespan superiority of some microscopic beings in comparison to us human beings, we can look outside of our mammals’ bubble for a moment. Thus, we reach the bubble of decomposers, beings who make life on this planet possible, out of our sight. Without them, our world is rotten forever, since they recycle everything that was, once, alive. As well as pollinators allow plants to reproduce, decomposers transform organic matter in mineral food for plants, the basic trophic level of most ecosystems.

They are everywhere, and we domesticated some of them to produce our own food, from cheese to bread and wine. However, as apex predators, we exist only because they sustain themselves since millions of years.

Characteristics of the microscope used for this exploration:
[[File:BresserBioDiscover.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Microscope used for our researches.]]
* Type: Biological-/ Stereo-type microscope
* Model: BRESSER BioDiscover
* Year of production: 2007
* Magnification table:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Eypiece !! Objective !! Magnification !! with Barlow lens
|-
| 5x || 4x || 20x || 40x
|-
| 5x || 10x || 50x || 100x
|-
| 5x || 40x || 200x || 400x
|-
| 16x || 4x || 64x || 128x
|-
| 16x || 10x || 160x || 320x
|-
| 16x || 40x || 640x || 1280x
|}

==November 2020 | Blue Ardenne collect==
[[File:Nov2020_Blue-Ardenne_hike-map.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|[[The Soft Protest Digest:About|The Soft Protest Digest]] followed this path to explore a glimpse of the Blue Ardenne.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Context of collect !! Date of collect !! Date of observation !! Items observed
|-
| Hike in the Blue Ardenne || 16th of November 2020 || January 2021 || Fungi<ref name="ressource">Identified when possible with the help of internet ressources (Wikipedia and [https://mushroomobserver.org/ The Mushroom Observer] or others).</ref> and small animals crawling in samples.
|}
<hr>
===Observations made while hiking===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Map of the visited area.|
File:Amanita_muscaria.jpg|
File:Clavulinopsis_aurantiocinnabarina.jpg|
File:Fomes_fomentarius-1.jpg|
File:Fomes_fomentarius-2.jpg|
File:Polyporaceae_corda_unidentified.jpg|
File:Meruliaceae_unidentified.jpg|
File:Hypoxylaceae_unindentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Amanita muscaria || Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina || Fomes fomentarius old || Fomes fomentarius young || Polyporaceae corda || Meruliaceae || Hypoxylaceae
|}
<hr>
===Fungi (mycelium organ) grown on mushroom===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Hypoxylacae_on_mushroom_sample.jpg|
File:Hypoxylacae_conidium.jpg|
File:Hypoxylacae-and-Penicillium-conidiums.jpg|
File:Tyrophagus_putrescentiae-1.jpg|
File:Tenebrionidae-family_unidentified.jpg|
File:Beetle-wing_unidentified.jpg|
File:Fungi-on-beetle_unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Macroscopic view of the observed sample || Hypoxylacae conidium || Hypoxylacae and Penicillium conidiums || Tyrophagus putrescentiae || Tenebrionidae family || Beetle wing || Fungi on beetle
|}
<hr>

===Lichen <ref>Composite organism made of algae/cyanobacteria living among filaments of fungi.</ref>===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Hypoxylacae_and_Evernia-genus_sample.jpg|
File:Evernia-genus_unidentified-1.jpg|
File:Evernia-genus_unidentified-2.jpg|
File:Mushroom-gills_unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Macroscopic view of the observed sample || EEvernia genus lichen || Evernia genus lichen || Mushroom alveolar gills
|}

==April 2021 | Hoeve de Koeberg soil analysis==
[[File:Koeberg_grasslandscape.jpeg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Landscape next to the pasture where the soil was sampled.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Context of collect !! Date of collect !! Date of observation !! Items observed
|-
| Soil analysis of milk providers: 1 hectare grassland next to the farm's main barn || 19th of April 2021 || April 2021 || Microscopic fungi and animals, macroscopic insects <ref name="ressource"/> crawling in samples.
|}
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Koeberg_grassland-biodiversity.JPG|
File:Koeberg_soil-structure.JPG|
</gallery>
<hr>

===Trowel sampling: 16 small 10cm deep samples===

20.04-26.04 — Samples bend together in plastic bag for a total of 1kg
* All macro-animals out of the total:
**3 cuts of medium earthworms, 2 blacks 1 white (anecics species?)
**1 cut of small earthworm (epigeic species?)
**2 small earthworms alive, brown and pinkish (epigeic species?)
**1 small short earthworm alive (or medium cut?)
**1 Acari sp. alive

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Koeberg_soil-sample_earthworms.JPG|
File:Acari_unidentified.JPG|
</gallery>

20.04 — 20g extracted and mixed with 100g demineralised water:
*First look right to left at 64x: no movement but lots of worm shaped things.
*Too much organic matter to get clear views: try with lower concentration.
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Actinobacteria_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Actinobacteria_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Bacterial-colony_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Mycelium-fungi_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Nematode-remains_unidentified.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-1.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-2.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Actinobacteria x2pic || Bacterial colony x2pic || Mycelium from fungi x3pic || Nematode remains || Soil organic structure x2pic
|}

26.04 — 10g extracted for 110g demineralised water:
*First (yellow) look right to left at 64x and 160x: no movement but good texture of organic matter.
*Second (pink) look random at 200x: lots of fungi bits and good bacterial aggregates.
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Fungi_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-4.JPG|
File:Nematode-remains_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-3.JPG|
File:Zygomicota-fungi_unidentified.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Various unidentified fungi x4pic || Nematode remains || Soil organic structure || Zygomicota fungi
|}
<hr>

===Pitfall trap: one 365mL jar in the center of the pasture===
[[File:Koeberg_pitfall-trap.JPG|thumb|Thumbnailed image|View of the trap after 2 nights.]]
19.04 — Process:
#Dig a hole of the jar's size.
#Put in that hole an opened jar/container filed at 1/3 with water + drop of alcool.
#Assemble 4 wood nails with a flat plastic container lid to elevate it when lying on the floor.
#Cover the trap with this “roof” (to prevent vertebrates to fall in) which nails will be stick in the ground.
#Wait for 2 nights.
#Get back the jar filed with macrofauna and store it in the fridge (6 days).
26.04 — Results:
*26 unidentified small Coleopteras of Bembidion genus all alive (3mm, oblong shape, black)
*2 unidentified medium Coleopteras of Phyllophaga genus, 1 alive (5-6mm, round shape, striped elytra, black)
*1 unidentified big Coleoptera of Amara genus (8mm, oblong shape, striped body, black)
*3 unidentified ants of same specie (2mm, brownish)
*2 unidentified small spiders (2-3mm, high greenish)
*3 unidentified big Coleopteras of Dermaptera order (12-15mm, long body, marked head-thorax limit, black)
*3 unidentified big spiders (7-8mm, big brownish)

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Bembidion-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Bembidion-genus_beetle-2.JPG|
File:Amara-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Amara-genus_beetle-2.JPG|
File:Ant_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Ant_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-5.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-6.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-3.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-4.JPG|
File:Spider-big_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Spider-big_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Spider-small_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Spider-small_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Pitfall-trap_animals-samping.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Bembidion genus beetle x2pic || Amara genus beetle x2pic || Unidentified ant x2pic || Insect of Dermaptera order x5pic || Phyllophaga genus beetle x3pic || Big unidentified spider x2pic || Small unidentified spider x2pic || Bembidion genus beetle dominance
|}
<hr>

===Baermann funnel: 50g of soil and demineralised water===
26.04 — Process:
#50g of soil in gauze attached to the border of a funnel.
#The end of the funnel is sealed with plastic over a jar.
#Demineralised water is poured until top fennel to let the nematodes fall in the funnel.
#The jar is used a day later to collect the nematodes by piercing the plastic.
27.04 — Results by looking from right to left at 64x:
* 1 unidentified rotifer moving around
* Fungi bits and bacterial aggregates

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Rotifera-phylum unidentified.jpg|
File:Rotifera-phylum unidentified.gif|
File:Organic-matter unidentified.jpg|
File:Fungi unidentified-5.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Unidentified Rotifera picture || Unidentified Rotifera animated GIF || Unidentified organic matter || Unidentified fungi
|}

==Notes==

Microscopic observation archives

2025-09-17T07:39:59Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* April 2021 | Hoeve de Koeberg soil analysis */

[[File:Global-biomass-distribution_taxa-environments_2018.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Diagrams sourced from The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo.]]
By considering the biomass<ref>See the article The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, Ron Milo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (25) 6506-6511; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711842115. source: https://www.pnas.org/content/115/25/6506</ref> and lifespan superiority of some microscopic beings in comparison to us human beings, we can look outside of our mammals’ bubble for a moment. Thus, we reach the bubble of decomposers, beings who make life on this planet possible, out of our sight. Without them, our world is rotten forever, since they recycle everything that was, once, alive. As well as pollinators allow plants to reproduce, decomposers transform organic matter in mineral food for plants, the basic trophic level of most ecosystems.

They are everywhere, and we domesticated some of them to produce our own food, from cheese to bread and wine. However, as apex predators, we exist only because they sustain themselves since millions of years.

Characteristics of the microscope used for this exploration:
[[File:BresserBioDiscover.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Microscope used for our researches.]]
* Type: Biological-/ Stereo-type microscope
* Model: BRESSER BioDiscover
* Year of production: 2007
* Magnification table:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Eypiece !! Objective !! Magnification !! with Barlow lens
|-
| 5x || 4x || 20x || 40x
|-
| 5x || 10x || 50x || 100x
|-
| 5x || 40x || 200x || 400x
|-
| 16x || 4x || 64x || 128x
|-
| 16x || 10x || 160x || 320x
|-
| 16x || 40x || 640x || 1280x
|}

==November 2020 | Blue Ardenne collect==
[[File:Nov2020_Blue-Ardenne_hike-map.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|[[The Soft Protest Digest:About|The Soft Protest Digest]] followed this path to explore a glimpse of the Blue Ardenne.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Context of collect !! Date of collect !! Date of observation !! Items observed
|-
| Hike in the Blue Ardenne || 16th of November 2020 || January 2021 || Fungi<ref name="ressource">Identified when possible with the help of internet ressources (Wikipedia and [https://mushroomobserver.org/ The Mushroom Observer] or others).</ref> and small animals crawling in samples.
|}
<hr>
===Observations made while hiking===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Map of the visited area.|
File:Amanita_muscaria.jpg|
File:Clavulinopsis_aurantiocinnabarina.jpg|
File:Fomes_fomentarius-1.jpg|
File:Fomes_fomentarius-2.jpg|
File:Polyporaceae_corda_unidentified.jpg|
File:Meruliaceae_unidentified.jpg|
File:Hypoxylaceae_unindentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Amanita muscaria || Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina || Fomes fomentarius old || Fomes fomentarius young || Polyporaceae corda || Meruliaceae || Hypoxylaceae
|}
<hr>
===Fungi (mycelium organ) grown on mushroom===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Hypoxylacae_on_mushroom_sample.jpg|
File:Hypoxylacae_conidium.jpg|
File:Hypoxylacae-and-Penicillium-conidiums.jpg|
File:Tyrophagus_putrescentiae-1.jpg|
File:Tenebrionidae-family_unidentified.jpg|
File:Beetle-wing_unidentified.jpg|
File:Fungi-on-beetle_unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Macroscopic view of the observed sample || Hypoxylacae conidium || Hypoxylacae and Penicillium conidiums || Tyrophagus putrescentiae || Tenebrionidae family || Beetle wing || Fungi on beetle
|}
<hr>

===Lichen <ref>Composite organism made of algae/cyanobacteria living among filaments of fungi.</ref>===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Hypoxylacae_and_Evernia-genus_sample.jpg|
File:Evernia-genus_unidentified-1.jpg|
File:Evernia-genus_unidentified-2.jpg|
File:Mushroom-gills_unidentified.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|Macroscopic view of the observed sample || EEvernia genus lichen || Evernia genus lichen || Mushroom alveolar gills
|}

==April 2021 | Hoeve de Koeberg soil analysis==
[[File:Koeberg_grasslandscape.jpeg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Landscape next to the pasture where the soil was sampled.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Context of collect !! Date of collect !! Date of observation !! Items observed
|-
| Soil analysis of milk providers: 1 hectare grassland next to the farm's main barn || 19th of April 2021 || April 2021 || Microscopic fungi and animals, macroscopic insects <ref name="ressource"/> crawling in samples.
|}
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Koeberg_grassland-biodiversity.JPG|
File:Koeberg_soil-structure.JPG|
</gallery>
<hr>

===Trowel sampling: 16 small 10cm deep samples===

20.04-26.04 — Samples bend together in plastic bag for a total of 1kg
* All macro-animals out of the total:
**3 cuts of medium earthworms, 2 blacks 1 white (anecics species?)
**1 cut of small earthworm (epigeic species?)
**2 small earthworms alive, brown and pinkish (epigeic species?)
**1 small short earthworm alive (or medium cut?)
**1 Acari sp. alive

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Koeberg_soil-sample_earthworms.JPG|
File:Acari_unidentified.JPG|
</gallery>

20.04 — 20g extracted and mixed with 100g demineralised water:
*First look right to left at 64x: no movement but lots of worm shaped things.
*Too much organic matter to get clear views: try with lower concentration.
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Actinobacteria_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Actinobacteria_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Bacterial-colony_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Bacterial-colony_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Mycelium-fungi_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Mycelium-fungi_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Mycelium-fungi_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Nematode-remains_unidentified.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-1.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-2.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Actinobacteria x2pic || Bacterial colony x2pic || Mycelium from fungi x3pic || Nematode remains || Soil organic structure x2pic
|}

26.04 — 10g extracted for 110g demineralised water:
*First (yellow) look right to left at 64x and 160x: no movement but good texture of organic matter.
*Second (pink) look random at 200x: lots of fungi bits and good bacterial aggregates.
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Fungi_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Fungi_unidentified-4.JPG|
File:Nematode-remains_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Soil_organic-structure-3.JPG|
File:Zygomicota-fungi_unidentified.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Various unidentified fungi x4pic || Nematode remains || Soil organic structure || Zygomicota fungi
|}
<hr>

===Pitfall trap: one 365mL jar in the center of the pasture===
[[File:Koeberg_pitfall-trap.JPG|thumb|Thumbnailed image|View of the trap after 2 nights.]]
19.04 — Process:
#Dig a hole of the jar's size.
#Put in that hole an opened jar/container filed at 1/3 with water + drop of alcool.
#Assemble 4 wood nails with a flat plastic container lid to elevate it when lying on the floor.
#Cover the trap with this “roof” (to prevent vertebrates to fall in) which nails will be stick in the ground.
#Wait for 2 nights.
#Get back the jar filed with macrofauna and store it in the fridge (6 days).
26.04 — Results:
*26 unidentified small Coleopteras of Bembidion genus all alive (3mm, oblong shape, black)
*2 unidentified medium Coleopteras of Phyllophaga genus, 1 alive (5-6mm, round shape, striped elytra, black)
*1 unidentified big Coleoptera of Amara genus (8mm, oblong shape, striped body, black)
*3 unidentified ants of same specie (2mm, brownish)
*2 unidentified small spiders (2-3mm, high greenish)
*3 unidentified big Coleopteras of Dermaptera order (12-15mm, long body, marked head-thorax limit, black)
*3 unidentified big spiders (7-8mm, big brownish)

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Bembidion-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Bembidion-genus_beetle-2.JPG|
File:Amara-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Amara-genus_beetle-2.JPG|
File:Ant_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Ant_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-3.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-5.JPG|
File:Dermaptera-order_unidentified-6.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-1.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-3.JPG|
File:Phyllophaga-genus_beetle-4.JPG|
File:Spider-big_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Spider-big_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Spider-small_unidentified-1.JPG|
File:Spider-small_unidentified-2.JPG|
File:Pitfall-trap_animals-samping.JPG|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Bembidion genus beetle x2pic || Amara genus beetle x2pic || Unidentified ant x2pic || Insect of Dermaptera order x5pic || Phyllophaga genus beetle x3pic || Big unidentified spider x2pic || Small unidentified spider x2pic || Bembidion genus beetle dominance
|}
<hr>

===Baermann funnel: 50g of soil and demineralised water===
26.04 — Process:
#50g of soil in gauze attached to the border of a funnel.
#The end of the funnel is sealed with plastic over a jar.
#Demineralised water is poured until top fennel to let the nematodes fall in the funnel.
#The jar is used a day later to collect the nematodes by piercing the plastic.
27.04 — Results by looking from right to left at 64x:
* 1 unidentified rotifer moving around
* Fungi bits and bacterial aggregates

<gallery mode="traditional">
File:Rotifera-phylum unidentified.jpg|
File:Rotifera-phylum unidentified.gif|
File:Organic-matter unidentified.jpg|
File:Fungi unidentified-5.jpg|
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
| Unidentified Rotifera picture || Unidentified Rotifera animated GIF || Unidentified organic matter || Unidentified fungi
|}

==Notes==

File:Dermaptera-order unidentified-2.JPG

2025-09-17T07:32:03Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Dermaptera-order unidentified-2.JPG

File:Dermaptera-order unidentified-2.JPG

2025-09-17T07:31:26Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Dermaptera-order unidentified-2.JPG

File:Zygomicota-fungi unidentified.JPG

2025-09-17T07:27:06Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Zygomicota-fungi unidentified.JPG

File:Soil organic-structure-3.JPG

2025-09-17T07:26:56Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Soil organic-structure-3.JPG

File:Nematode-remains unidentified-2.JPG

2025-09-17T07:26:40Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Nematode-remains unidentified-2.JPG

File:Fungi unidentified-4.JPG

2025-09-17T07:26:29Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fungi unidentified-4.JPG

File:Fungi unidentified-3.JPG

2025-09-17T07:26:19Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fungi unidentified-3.JPG

File:Fungi unidentified-2.JPG

2025-09-17T07:26:08Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fungi unidentified-2.JPG

File:Fungi unidentified-1.JPG

2025-09-17T07:25:50Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fungi unidentified-1.JPG

File:Koeberg soil-sample earthworms.JPG

2025-09-17T07:25:01Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Koeberg soil-sample earthworms.JPG

File:Nematode-remains unidentified.JPG

2025-09-17T07:24:13Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Nematode-remains unidentified.JPG

File:Mycelium-fungi unidentified-1.JPG

2025-09-17T07:23:45Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Mycelium-fungi unidentified-1.JPG

File:Bacterial-colony unidentified-1.JPG

2025-09-17T07:23:28Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Bacterial-colony unidentified-1.JPG

File:Actinobacteria unidentified-2.JPG

2025-09-17T07:23:14Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Actinobacteria unidentified-2.JPG

File:Actinobacteria unidentified-1.JPG

2025-09-17T07:22:58Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Actinobacteria unidentified-1.JPG

File:Soil organic-structure-2.JPG

2025-09-17T07:22:29Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Soil organic-structure-2.JPG

File:Soil organic-structure-1.JPG

2025-09-17T07:22:25Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Soil organic-structure-1.JPG

File:Koeberg grassland-biodiversity.JPG

2025-09-17T07:16:19Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Koeberg grassland-biodiversity.JPG

File:Hypoxylacae and Evernia-genus sample.jpg

2025-09-17T07:16:14Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Hypoxylacae and Evernia-genus sample.jpg

File:Evernia-genus unidentified-1.jpg

2025-09-17T07:16:06Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Evernia-genus unidentified-1.jpg

File:Beetle-wing unidentified.jpg

2025-09-17T07:12:59Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Beetle-wing unidentified.jpg

File:Mushroom-gills unidentified.jpg

2025-09-17T07:12:53Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Mushroom-gills unidentified.jpg

File:Evernia-genus unidentified-2.jpg

2025-09-17T07:12:46Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Evernia-genus unidentified-2.jpg

File:Tyrophagus putrescentiae-1.jpg

2025-09-17T07:10:51Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Tyrophagus putrescentiae-1.jpg

File:Hypoxylacae-and-Penicillium-conidiums.jpg

2025-09-17T07:10:46Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Hypoxylacae-and-Penicillium-conidiums.jpg

File:Hypoxylacae conidium.jpg

2025-09-17T07:10:41Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Hypoxylacae conidium.jpg

File:Hypoxylacae on mushroom sample.jpg

2025-09-17T07:10:32Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Hypoxylacae on mushroom sample.jpg

File:Fungi-on-beetle unidentified.jpg

2025-09-17T07:09:01Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fungi-on-beetle unidentified.jpg

File:Polyporaceae corda unidentified.jpg

2025-09-17T07:07:40Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Polyporaceae corda unidentified.jpg

File:Meruliaceae unidentified.jpg

2025-09-17T07:07:24Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Meruliaceae unidentified.jpg

File:Hypoxylaceae unindentified.jpg

2025-09-17T07:06:38Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Hypoxylaceae unindentified.jpg

File:Fomes fomentarius-2.jpg

2025-09-17T07:06:20Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fomes fomentarius-2.jpg

File:Fomes fomentarius-1.jpg

2025-09-17T07:05:06Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Fomes fomentarius-1.jpg

File:Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina.jpg

2025-09-17T07:04:17Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina.jpg

File:Amanita muscaria.jpg

2025-09-17T07:04:04Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Amanita muscaria.jpg

File:Koeberg grasslandscape.jpeg

2025-09-17T07:02:19Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Koeberg grasslandscape.jpeg

File:The-soft-protest-digest-favicon.png

2025-09-13T19:10:55Z

Thesoftprotestdigest:

The Soft Protest Digest:About

2025-09-13T19:10:43Z

Thesoftprotestdigest:

__NOTOC__
[[File:The-soft-protest-digest-favicon.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Favicon of The Soft Protest Digest wiki.]]

=== The Soft Protest Digest was a research collective founded by Danish farmer and artist Nickie Sigurdsson, with French designers and artists Robin Bantigny and Jérémie Rentien Lando. Robin Bantigny continues to use this website to document and archive his own researches. ===

The collective is using different narratives to test how food culture, in the context of climate change, is created and altered. Calling on the use of fictional traditions, multi-species storytellings, publishing, the landscape and local knowledge; the collective believes that stories create kinship and allies, much needed in a time of environmental breakdown, in order to imagine and realise liveable futures. These means will hopefully dismantle the structural problems related to the current food web.

Santons: People of the grass

2025-09-13T18:39:14Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: /* Completed santons of arthropods’ species */

[[File:santons-divers-3.jpg|thumb|Upper part of the santon Graphosoma italicum, before being assembled with its legs.]]
Ongoing project written at first person as Robin Bantigny.

After moving to Provence, in Marseille, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] quickly caught my attention with the Santons market in the Vieux port, which takes place in december. Well before Christmas 2022, my partner and I began building a secular nativity scene combining santons made by santonniers and santons made by me. The later represented wild animals (unlike the traditional domestic animals) and characters looking like my partner and I in a fantasy world. I quickly got caught up in this art form and added my mother and her dog, my brother, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my best friend, a couple of friends, my sister and her family, my cousin, etc. to the nativity scene.

All these vernacular representations of loved ones served as gifts, and I hope to create an emotional connection to these “cute” figurines in their recipients. I would even be tempted to give them a magical dimension: they are closer to talismans and amulets <ref>Their paper packaging was also carefully designed, like the cases for amulets and other charms.</ref> than framed photographic portraits.

This is how I came to want to transfer this “friendly” and magical quality to insects, a clade of living creatures that generally attracts disgust <ref>If we omit bees and ladybugs.</ref> and that could really use a boost in affection to survive the onslaught of human agribusiness. So, in a way, I gave insects a place in the sacred familiarity of the nativity scene by transforming them into Provençal santons. In doing so, I tried to remain as descriptive as possible of the species represented — within the limited scope of a few grams of clay and square centimeters of paint.

=== Related images ===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:santons-creche.jpg|
File:santons-divers-1.jpg|
File:santons-famille.jpg|
File:santons-divers-2.jpg|
File:santons-ecrin.jpg|
File:santons-pendentif.jpg|
</gallery>

== Completed santons of arthropods’ species ==

{| class="wikitable"
! French name
! English name
! Latin name
! style=min-width:590px | Pictures
! style=min-width:150px | About the species
|-

! Œdémère noble
| False oil beetle || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedemera_nobilis Oedemera nobilis] || [[File:oedemera-nobilis_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:oedemera-nobilis_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| The males of this green critter have such massive hind femoras that people call it a “maillot vert” (the green jersey is worn by the best sprinter during Tour de France). They are an important pollinator species all across Western Europe.
|-
! Clyte trifascié
| Mediterranean Longhorn beetle || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophorus_trifasciatus Chlorophorus trifasciatus] || [[File:chlorophorus-trifasciatus_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:chlorophorus-trifasciatus_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| Longhorn beetles are essential pollinators: adults (imagos) often feed on plants’ nectar; while larvaes feed on wood (xylophagous).
|-
! Empuse commune
| Conehead mantis || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empusa_pennataEmpusa pennata] || [[File:empusa-pennata_3wiki.jpg|398px]]
|| Contrary to praying mantis, females do not devour the male while reproducing.
|-
! Gendarme
| Firebug || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhocoris_apterus Pyrrhocoris apterus] || [[File:pyrrhocoris-apterus_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:pyrrhocoris-apterus_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| These bugs are subordinate to lime trees and mallows. Their french name refers to the “gendarme”, a feared paramilitary force which XIXth century uniforms used to display the same colors as those bugs.
|-
! Bupreste à neuf tâches
| Jewel beetle with nine spots || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buprestis Buprestis novemmaculata] || [[File:buprestis-novemmaculata_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:buprestis-novemmaculata_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| Adults feed on pollen while larvaes dig tunnels into pines’ wood.
|-
! Perce-oreille commun
| European earwing || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forficula_auricularia Forticula auricularia] || [[File:forticula-auricularia_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:forticula-auricularia_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| There are many theories about their name origins: some say that it comes from the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique in their resemblance to human ears, other argue that they really used to be wore as earrings, but their forceps (cerci) are generally only used for courtship.
|-
! Chrysomèle fastueuse
| Dead-nettle leaf beetle || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasta Chrysolina fastuosa] || [[File:chrysolina-fastuosa_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:chrysolina-fastuosa_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| This beautiful little bug is typically playing dead when found on a nettle or other Lamiaceae plants.
|-
! Criquet bariolé
| Large banded grasshopper || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcyptera_fusca Arcyptera fusca] || [[File:arcyptera-fusca_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:arcyptera-fusca_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| Typical from dry meadows and high mountains, those grasshoppers have become scarce in Eastern Europe.
|-
! Frelon d'Europe
| European hornet || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet Vespa crabro] || [[File:vespa-crabro_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:vespa-crabro_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| These are useful predator for the European ecosystems, and they are not worse/better than asian hornet, which has been in Europe for so long that it is part of it too.
Only females possess a stinger, it is a modified egg laying device: males cannot sting. Colonies live in paper nests located in dark places, that are made by female workers’ cement: they chew bark and trees mixed with their saliva to build their home (like most social wasps).
|-
! Grande perle (nymphe)
| Stonefly (nymph) || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perla_(stonefly) Perla bipunctata (naiad)] || [[File:perla-bipunctata_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:perla-bipunctata_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| This is a nymph (juvenile form) stonefly, which are believed to be one of the most primitive groups of winged insects. Finding these nymphs, called “naiads”, in water streams is an indicator of excellent water quality.
|-
! Pimélie
| Darkling beetle || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimelia Pimelia bipunctata] || [[File:pimelia-bipunctata_3wiki.jpg|398px]]
|| Most darkling beetles (tenebrionids) are cute plant scavengers. Pimelia bipunctata are capable of secreting a smelly red liquid when they feel threaten.
|-
! Barbitiste languedocien (mâle)
| Languedocian bush cricket (male) || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbitistes_fischeri Barbitistes fischeri] || [[File:barbitistes-fischeri_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:barbitistes-fischeri_3story.jpg|175px]]
||
|-
! Hanneton commun
| Common cockchafer || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockchafer#Taxonomy Melolontha melolontha] || [[File:melolontha-melolontha_3wiki.jpg|398px]] [[File:melolontha-melolontha_3story.jpg|175px]]
|| As they multiply, cockchafers can become a farmers’ nightmare, eating plants’ roots unnoticed. Their life cycle is 3 years long, spent mostly buried in the soil.
|}

== Modeling technique ==
[[File:creche-provencale.jpg|thumb|Typical nativity scene depicted with Santons from Provence.]]
[[File:santons_process-5.jpg|thumb|Fabrication of the molds for stincky bug species.]]

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine) Santons from Provence] are small, colorful clay figurines that represent the Nativity scene in Christmas cribs (the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, with the donkey and ox supposed to warm the child with their breath), the Three Wise Men and the shepherds, as well as a whole series of small figures representing the inhabitants of a Provençal village and their traditional trades.

The technique I used to make the insect santons is close to the same as that used for traditional Santons<ref>Santon makers go through seven stages to make a santon. First, they make a model out of raw clay placed on a base that will form part of the figure. Next, they make a plaster mold. The molding is done by pressing a coil of fresh clay into one half of the mold, which has been dusted with talcum powder. After pressing both sides by hand, the excess is trimmed away and the santon is removed from the mold and left to dry. The final manual operation consists of more precise trimming to remove all traces of the mold. The santon is then left to dry again before being fired in a kiln at 800°C. The final step is decoration, which is always done by hand.</ref>, but there are no molds nor firing: for now they are unique pieces that are sculpted and painted by hand.

In the purpose of a small-scale mass production to use those figurines as a pedagogical tool for entomology initiation, I am now experimenting on molding: plaster molds are not flexible enough for the level of details of arthropods’ anatomy, thus I am working on latex molds to make plaster copies that would be light, robust and convenient to paint by hand.

=== Pictures of the modeling techniques ===
<gallery mode="traditional">
File:santons_process-1.jpg|
File:santons_process-2.jpg|
File:santons_process-3.jpg|
File:santons_process-4.jpg|
</gallery>

== Sources ==
📷 Main sources for species and pictures:
**Gwenole Le Guellec , [https://www.lalibrairie.com/livres/insectes-de-mediterranee--arachnides-et-myriapodes_0-440669_9782744907616.html Insectes de Méditerranée: Arachnides et Myriapodes], Nature au Sud, France, 2008.
**Helgard Reichholf-Riehm, [https://www.le-livre.fr/livres/fiche-r300270329.html Les insectes], La nature en couleurs, France Loisirs, France 1994, Allemagne 1983.

== Notes ==

File:SPD1220 document-almond-RB-3D.jpg

2025-09-06T09:33:29Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:SPD1220 document-almond-RB-3D.jpg

File:FAFF2020 theAlmond-promo-image.jpg

2025-09-06T09:21:07Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:FAFF2020 theAlmond-promo-image.jpg

File:FAFF2020 theAlmond-promo-image.jpg

2025-09-06T09:20:35Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:FAFF2020 theAlmond-promo-image.jpg

File:Organic-cow-4-cow-5d.jpg

2025-09-06T09:11:20Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Organic-cow-4-cow-5d.jpg

File:Ricotta-3b.jpg

2025-09-06T09:10:32Z

Thesoftprotestdigest: Thesoftprotestdigest uploaded a new version of File:Ricotta-3b.jpg