In Spring 2023, Keiron worked with the Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected (Yorkshire Dales) and Forest of Bowland AONB Hay Time Project to deliver earthworm education in the North of England, as well as surveying sites for earthworms in Lancashire and North Yorkshire.
The education programme included 3 entoLEARN education webinars that are available to view below.
Introduction To Earthworms
Known as the gardener’s best friend, it is widely recognised that earthworms are important creatures. However, few people realise that there are different kinds of earthworms doing different jobs, and the true level of their importance goes unrecognised. In the talk below talk, Keiron will take us on a journey into the weird yet wonderful world of worms. We’ll learn what makes an earthworm an earthworm and explore some of the fascinating aspects of their biology, ecology and behaviour, and discuss how not all earthworms are found below ground! We’ll look at some exotic earthworms from around the world and discover what the current status quo is with British earthworms.
Below you will find copies of the Annelid Taxonomy and Earthworm Ecosystem Services infographics used in the presentation and some useful links.
- Earthworm biology
- Life cycle of an earthworm
- Earthworm functions
- Earthworm ecology
- Earthworm diversity
- Flatworms
- Wriggling Into Recording: 10 Years of the National Earthworm Recording Scheme entoLIVE blog
- Festival Bowland events
Earthworms For Farmers
The productivity of agricultural systems is heavily reliant upon the condition of the soils below. Earthworms contribute to important soil processes and provide ecosystem services such as waste recycling, carbon and nutrient regulation, water flow regulation, soil aeration and soil structure maintenance. In the presentation below, Keiron introduces how different types of earthworms contribute to these agricultural benefits in different ways, what threats our earthworms face in agricultural landscapes and what farming practices might be better for supporting healthy earthworm populations.
Below you will find the Soil Formation& Soil Processes and Earthworms & a link to more events with the Tees-Swale Naturally Connect project.
Earthworms of the UK Part 1
The UK and Ireland has 32-33 species of earthworms that can be found occurring in natural habitats that have been recorded to date. We are exploring all 32-33 species over the course of 3 webinars. Part 1 covered some of the most common species and is available to view for free below. Part 2 was delivered in September 2024 and Part 3 will cover the rare species and is due to take place on 13 January 2025 (you don’t need to have viewed either part 1 or 2 to enjoy and understand part 3).
More on earthworms
Biological Recording 