How can we make happy soil accessible to all?

Introducing Biocharizard, the DIY at-home biochar-making kit for soil-building superheroes

Designed to make soil building accessible, this simple but essential kit upcycles a metal espresso can into a home-sized pyrolysis kiln. It includes instructions for transforming bio-waste into biochar, a form of charcoal prized by permaculturists, climatologists, and soil ecologists.

Believed to be an essential component of the hyper-fertile, healthy black dirt called terra preta, biochar is a form of charcoal. It is widely used today to improve soil quality and sequester carbon. New potentials for biochar as an ecological ally are rapidly emerging.

Biochar can regulate moisture in unpredictable watering or rain cycles. Mix it into compost, and it can support microbes in quickly turning anything from kitchen scraps to chicken-coop bedding into nutrient-rich soil amendments. Biochar supports nutrient retention in soil and can even reduce the smell of the kitty litter box. Plus, you can make your own charcoal art.

The at-home process of creating this carbon-rich compound is surprisingly simple. Fill the pyrolysis kiln with bio-waste and secure the lid. The lid is critical since the biochar process (called pyrolysis) only happens when material is burned without oxygen. Don't worry about it being airtight; just make sure the lid stays put. Stick the can in the hot coals of a fireplace, grill, or campfire. Let it burn and cool down on its own. Hours later, you'll have made your first batch of biochar.

The primary function of this toolkit is to raise awareness of and curiosity about the existence of biochar. Many people have never heard of it! We want potential users to be able to see inside the box to understand what it contains. In addition, we included an introduction to biochar right on the box. The text and logo are burned instead of printed with toxic ink, so users can even turn the packaging into biochar. We wanted the initial opening of the box to increase users' sense of wonder. The pyrolysis kiln is rainbow-colored from being charred and oxidized. Inside the can, users will find a beautiful, intriguing example of the results of the biochar-creation process.

In the prototype stages, this example of biochar is a pinecone, a flower, a clementine, or a fish bone. Users can experience the delight of seeing an object with a familiar shape. While the carbon structure of the object is charcoal-ified, the rest of the sensory experience is novel. The texture, weight, density, and smell of the object are completely changed. During initial trials exposing this kit to new users, the greatest expression of delight has come from touching and interacting with the sample biochar.

Biochar is an incredible soil-building ally. In a time when fertile soil is rapidly disappearing, biochar has shown to be a key component in helping ecosystems regenerate and build the resilience they need to resist climate chaos.

We created this kit because we want people to know about this soil super-ingredient. Besides its utility, the process of making biochar is fascinating, and biochar is visually stunning. Whether initial users use our Biocharizard kit for the power it gives to plants, for DIY artists' charcoal, or for the beauty of the end product, we're confident it will reignite awareness of an ally that's been around since before the dinosaurs.