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shirt-to-dirt gallery

See the visual data we've collected so far!

Simple science version

Ellen

Simple Science

Just buried!

Columbia
South Carolina
Simple Science
Jul 3, 2023

Under a layer of dirt/pine needles with lots of earthworms and other crawlies.

Elizabeth

Buried Meditation Book

4 weeks

Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Buried Meditation Book
Jul 17, 2023

We have had so much rain! And there were worms hanging out in the hole when I dug it up.

Wendy

Simple Science

Just buried!

Alabama
Simple Science
Jul 17, 2023

Sally

Simple Science

4 weeks

FAYETTE
Maine
Simple Science
Jul 16, 2023

Rain, rain and more rain! This little piece was all that I could get out of the ground. The rest just disintegrated.

Michelle

Buried Meditation Book

4 weeks

Eastlake
Ohio
Buried Meditation Book
Jul 17, 2023

We've had a lot of rain lately. The book came unbound and the pages are feeling apart. No change in thread color.

richard

Simple Science

8 weeks

Fort Wayne, IN
Indiana
Simple Science
Jul 17, 2023

Rita

Simple Science

4 weeks

Roanoke
Virginia
Simple Science
Jul 16, 2023

The week 4 piece of linen was nowhere to be found. We’ve had a lot of rain. The week for marker was broken and by the time I located the piece in the compost pile, there was no telling where it had been originally. We dug deep and wide enough that we should have found the linen. My husband thought he saw it incorporated into a Cardinal’s nest in a barberry bush, but it was a piece of napkin.

Liz

Simple Science

4 weeks

Simpsonville
South Carolina
Simple Science
Jul 15, 2023

When I put the fabric in the ground, it was laying flat but when I uncovered it, it was folded in a couple places. I assume the worms have been chewing on it and their movement in and out of the area mix up the soil and fabric. I also thought it was interesting that the wooden plant marker had roots from every plant in the area attached to it. I assume it was because the stick holds moisture but never thought that it would attract roots of plants.

Lisa

Simple Science

4 weeks

Tulsa
Oklahoma
Simple Science
Jul 15, 2023

I could not find the fabric…it was not there. I dug twice and will try one more time tomorrow.

Sally

Simple Science

4 weeks

Providence
Rhode Island
Simple Science
Jul 15, 2023

No sample found. I tried to be much more careful and gentle this time (did not find my square after 2 weeks either) but could not find a trace of my linen scrap. Due to the heavy rains we've been getting and the large number of worms I unearthed I think my sample fully broke down by week 4 if not week 2!

MARSHA

Simple Science

4 weeks

RIDGEFIELD
Connecticut
Simple Science
Jul 13, 2023

Did not notice much difference from week 2.

Barbara

Simple Science

Just buried!

BRISTOL
Vermont
Simple Science
Jul 13, 2023

Flower garden!

Simple science
Linen biodegredation project
Buried Books

buried meditation books

Renee

Just buried

Morrison
Oklahoma
June 15, 2023

No worms. 89 degrees air temp. Good farm soil with small amount of clay.

Michelle

Just made/sewn

Eastlake
Ohio
June 15, 2023

Elizabeth

Just made

Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
June 14, 2023

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