The World Day to Combat Desertification is observed every year on June 17th. For 2010, the Day's theme is "Enhancing soils anywhere enhances life everywhere". This is fitting, as 2010 is also the International Year dedicated to Biodiversity, and desertification, land degradation and drought dramatically affect the biodiversity resident in the soil.
Living my life up and down the east coast of America, I didn't have cause to think often about desertification. In fact, I don't think I had even heard that word - desertification - until the PRAIS project. I'm proud to have the opportunity to partner with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on PRAIS, and thankful to have a job that enables me to learn more about and participate in solving a variety of the challenges that our earth faces.
I encourage you to take a few minutes today to learn more about the World Day to Combat Desertification.