Earthworm Sampling Day

There are 33 species of earthworm living freely in soils in the UK. They are vital to the economic health of our country, as they are crucial for soil health, food production, waste decomposition and even flood mitigation. Despite their importance, we know so little aboout their distributions.

Come along for a hands-on day of earthworm surveying with fellow nature enthusiasts! You'll help search for and collect earthworm specimens, contributing valuable data to build a species list for the site. Our survey methods include exploring different microhabitats and hand-sorting soil samples to gather specimens, which will later be identified by trained earthworm recorders. All records will be added to the National Earthworm Recording Scheme, helping to expand our understanding of these important soil creatures. No experience is necessary—just bring your curiosity and a keen eye for wildlife!

• Fieldwork experience in undertaking soil pit sampling surveys to assess soil-dwelling earthworm species.
• Hands-on experience of undertaking microhabitat searches to find above-ground earthworm species.
• Practical experience in collecting and preserving earthworm specimens.
• Recording environmental and ecological data required for the generation of earthworm species occurrence data.
• A chance to meet fellow like-minded people from a range of different disciplines.

• This event is aimed at adults only.
• It’s free to attend and no previous experience is required as earthworm sampling methods will be taught to all attendees on the day.
• Attendance is free, but booking is essential as spaces are limited.
• This event will involve the collection, preservation and killing of earthworm specimens for identification purposes.

All records collected will be submitted to iRecord in order to share our findings with the site managers, Local Environmental Record Centre and the National Earthworm Recording Scheme.

Keiron has been involved with a range of invertebrate projects across the UK, including designing and managing the BioLinks project for the Field Studies Council. He set up the Biological Recording Company, where he highlights invertebrate research through the entoLIVE series and runs a wide range of invertebrate courses and events. In his spare time, he is an Entomology Chair of the London Natural History Society and is the National Recorder for Earthworms.

We will be sampling and recording earthworms at several sites around Southwark on this day. The meeting point will be at Galleywall Nature Reserve (Galleywall Rd, London, SE16 3PB). From here we will visit two additional nearby sites within walking distance.

This course is being delivered by the Biological Recording Company with support from Southwark Council.

Host or Publisher Keiron Derek Brown