The conference was the result of the millennium ‘Year of the Artist’ initiative which allowed Jim Buchanan, Land Artist, to work in collaboration with Writtle College to explore soil as a sculptural medium. The speakers bought together a range of scientific and artistic skills and included: Jim Buchanan, Land Artist; Paul Cooke, Landscape Architect for Groundwork Caerphilly; Chris Drury, Environmental Artist; Alastair Gardner, Architect; Professor John Handley, School of Planning and Landscape, University of Manchester; Michael Petts, Environmental Artist; David Wright, Director of Commissions East.