The soil is ‘the layer of the earth’s crust that is rooted by plants. In North Limburg we live on sand, as in many places in the Netherlands. Where does that come from? We look at soil drillings and how different layers of it are studied. This study provides an image of the supply of ‘sand’ from Northeast and Central Europe. This is a process of tens of thousands of years. Attention is also paid to deep drillings in the Peel for coal 100 years ago, or for warm water (Thermal bath Arcen, horticultural area California), the significance of the Roerdalslenk and the Peelrandbreuk. Geology with an eye for its own environment. Lecture by Gerben Straatsma related to the exhibition ‘The earth – soil of our life’