DO EARTHWORMS HAVE SUPERPOWERS?

The impact of deep burrowing earthworms on soils is being showcased at a half-term event #wormscience at the Science Museum in London.

The display, which is targeted at children and teenagers between the ages of 5 to 16, includes:

• hand-on worm science with our largest earthworm species;
• exploring their middens using microscopy;
• seeing their role on soil fertility;
• and revealing the hidden soil structures caused by their deep burrowing activities by using state-of-the-art X-ray CT scanning.

Dr Jackie Stroud, NERC Soil Security fellow based at Rothamsted Research who is leading this research said: “Earthworms are our soil ecosystem engineers, invisible below the plants that we eat. Excessive digging or tilling of soils causes local extinctions of large earthworms.  I hope that by revealing the hidden world of these earthworms, it will inspire interest in soil science and ignite debates into whether we are Ploughing on Regardless?”  

You can come and see the #wormscience display at the Science Museum from 29 – 31st May 2017 between 11 am – 4 pm (excluding lunchtime).  The display will be on the first floor, next to the café adjacent to the Robots exhibit.