Earthworms are vital to healthy ecosystems in the UK.
Their role as ecosystem engineers means that they perform a host of ecosystem services – both above and below ground.
Despite a widespread understanding of the importance of earthworms, they remain relatively under-studied and under-recorded.
The Biological Recording Company specialises in earthworm recording and consultancy, offering a range of training and consultancy services.
Earthworm Training Courses & Events
Earthworm training courses and events help engage new audiences with these under-sung heroes of the soil, and surveying and identification of earthworms help improve our knowledge of how earthworm populations are faring locally and nationally.
Click on the images below to learn more about specific training products. 2023 delivery fees for all 1-day products are currently £300 plus tutor expenses.
Earthworm Biology & Ecology is a 1-day training course aimed at those with no previous knowledge of earthworms. This course is designed to give an overview of the science of earthworms and is great for environmental educators, amateur naturalists, students and biological recorders.
Earthworm Sampling Days are 1-day specialist-led field sessions teaching volunteers/staff how to survey for earthworms. These events require no previous experience and are great for biological recorders, amateur naturalists, conservationists and students.
Earthworm Identification is a 1-day training course aimed at those wishing to learn how to identify British and Irish earthworms to species level. This course is aimed a those that have a background in natural history and is great for biological recorders, amateur naturalists, environmental professionals, students and researchers.
Earthworm Study Days are 1-day specialist-led workshop supervising volunteers/staff undertaking identification of earthworm specimens. This workshop is aimed at those with earthworm identification experience and is great for biological recorders, amateur naturalists, environmental professionals, students and researchers.
Training courses and days can be delivered independently or combined to create multi-day or residential training options. For example, the Earthworm Sampling Day and Earthworm ID with Microscopes days could be combined to create an ‘Earthworm ID Weekend’.
Earthworm Consultancy Services
Consultancy services include earthworm site surveys and identification services. Please contact Keiron to discuss any bespoke services, such as report production or citizen science project design.
Earthworm Site Survey
Earthworm site surveys are designed based on the intended objectives and outputs of the client. For example, surveys may be designed to measure differences between sites, changes to earthworm populations over time or to generate an earthworm site species list. All earthworm site surveys include the collection of preserved specimens as identification is not possible in the field or with live earthworms.
Sampling options available:
Hand-sorted soil pit sampling: Standardised sampling method useful for establishing earthworm population size and diversity within soil ecosystems. Less effective for measuring anecic and epigeic earthworm populations.
Mustard extraction sampling: Standardised sampling method useful for detecting anecic species of earthworm. May be combined with hand-sorted soil pit sampling to broaden diversity detected when undertaking standardised survey methods.
Microhabitat searches: Non-standardised sampling method that involves searching any potential earthworm microhabitats outside of the soil (such as compost bins, deadwood, leaf litter). Useful for detecting a wider range of species (including epigeic species) and recommended for the production of comprehensive earthworm site species lists.
- Costs depend on the number of surveyors required and the size of the survey.
Earthworm Identification Services
Identification of preserved earthworm specimens by Keiron Derek Brown. This may include specimens collected on Earthworm Sampling Days, Earthworm Site Surveys or external sampling initiatives.
- £300 per day, based on the identification of 150 specimens per day.
Keiron Brown is the National Recorder for Earthworms registered with the Biological Records Centre and runs the National Earthworm Recording Scheme for the Earthworm Society of Britain (ESB).
He designed the Earthworm ID Training Pathway and has been delivering training courses as an ESB-approved tutor since 2014.
Previous contractors include the Field Studies Council, Tanyptera Project, The Wildlife Trusts and Natural History Museum (London).
Keiron is a supporter of the FAIR principles for scientific data management and stewardship so the following services are only available where all species determinations are submitted as earthworm records to the National Earthworm Recording Scheme under a Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 licence.
Biological Recording 