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What is Earthworm Watch?

What is Earthworm Watch?. A Citizen Science project to record earthworms and soils. We will record the different kinds and number of earthworms. We will learn how important earthworms are for healthy soils. What is an earthworm?. A worm that lives on the soil surface or in the soil

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What is Earthworm Watch?

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  1. What is Earthworm Watch? A Citizen Science project to record earthworms and soils. We will record the different kinds and number of earthworms. We will learn how important earthworms are for healthy soils.

  2. What is an earthworm? • A worm that lives on the soil surface or in the soil • Breathes through skin • Feeds on soil or fallen leaves and dead plants on the soil surface • Senses the world around them by moving, touching and responding to vibrations in the ground

  3. Types of earthworm • Surface feeding earthworms • Soil feeding earthworms • Deep-living earthworms

  4. Why are earthworms important for healthy soils? Earthworms live in burrows in the soil and this helps create space for movement of air and water. Earthworms eat and move decaying plant material to improve soil fertility. Carbon can be stored in tiny fragments of leaves, micro-organisms and other plants in the soil. Earthworms are food for lots of other wildlife!

  5. Why do we need healthy soils?

  6. Where can you do Earthworm Watch? School grounds Garden Park Nature reserve Allotment

  7. How do we do Earthworm Watch? Step 1 Collect all your equipment and the instructions. Step 2 Choose a suitable site for your earthworm survey. Step 3 Dig your first soil pit, count the earthworms, and then do the mustard test. Step 4 Categorise your soil. Write down your observations on the recording form.

  8. How do we do Earthworm Watch? Step 5 Return the earthworms to the soil and fill in your pit. Step 6 Repeatfor soil pit two (note how far away in metres you are from soil pit 1). Step 6 Upload your results: www.earthwormwatch.org

  9. What will happen to our results? Hello! My name is Victoria Burton and I am an earthworm scientist at the Natural History Museum! I am asking you to take part in Earthworm Watch and submit your results to us on our website. With lots more data from around the UK we can understand more about the diversity of earthworms and understand how their actions contribute to healthy soils!

  10. How else can you get involved?

  11. Time to do Earthworm Watch!

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