Underwear in the Soil: A Unique Way to Test Farmland Health

Burying your underwear in the garden to check if the soil is healthy. That's exactly what one bright student from Banning Unified School District did! Caleb Clay, a fifth-grader from Starlight Elementary School, came up with a fun and effective way to test soil health by using underwear. His experiment, called "Soil Your Undies, " involved burying boxer briefs in different places and observing how quickly they broke down. The idea is that healthy soil, with lots of helpful bacteria, will decompose the underwear faster. Caleb's creative approach not only won him the first place at the 2025 Banning Unified School District Science and Engineering Fair but also moved him forward to the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair. There, his project will be judged on how well he applied the scientific method, the materials he used, the accuracy of his results, and his creativity. It's a great way to show that science can be fun and practical! Alongside Caleb, 17 other students from the district also impressed the judges with their projects. Charlie Woolridge, a fourth-grader from Brookside Elementary School, came in second, while Cameron Centner, an eighth-grader from Summerwind Trails School, took third place. The top winners from Banning Unified School District will move on to the state competition, and if they do well there, they could even go to an international competition. The science fair is a fantastic way to encourage students to explore science and engineering, says Marie Ferguson, the district's Science Fair Coordinator. It's all about making learning fun and hands-on!