Making the earth move

Where would we be without worms? The Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Ellen Sherlock digs in her garden to find out

- Ellen Sherlock

Worms make the earth turn round – literally, they turn soil over as they move, helping to improve its structure and drainage. ‘So what?’ I hear you ask. Well, if you like gardening or eating food then you have worms to thank, and if you still think worms are boring – keep reading.

Specifically, we’re talking about earthworms. In the UK alone there are 29 different species of earthworm and each one plays an integral role in our ecosystem, but don’t be fooled by worm wannabees; like the slow worm (actually a type of lizard) or glow worms (a type of beetle).

Earthworms come in a variety of sizes and colours, deep red, green, some are even a bit stripy. The largest species of earthworm in the UK can reach up to 30cm in length and takes the prize for spookiest species name – the nightcrawler.

Our earthworms are world-class recyclers, eating organic matter, like dead leaves and plants and turning it into super nutrient-rich worm poo. This increases soil fertility which in turn helps soil microorganisms and fungi to thrive.