Monday 23 March
This week children across the UK will be taking part in Worm Week – an initiative launched by wildlife charity Buglife.
Buglife aims to help children realise that although most people don’t think earthworms are cute or cuddly, they are incredibly important animals. Conservation Officer, Vicky Kindemba said 'earthworms are nature's recyclers, they aerate the soil and recharge it with nutrients making it rich and healthy, and helping plants to grow. They really are forgotten heroes of our gardens – working away unseen underground'.
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| Even young children can enjoy meeting earthworms! |
There are 26 species of earthworms native to the UK and around 6,000 species in the world. Their combined actions are astounding - it has been estimated that globally earthworms produce £16 billion worth of topsoil each year!
Hundreds of primary schools across the UK will be taking part in a Worm Charming competition, a 'Wonderful Worms' poetry competition, and worm-themed crafts and classroom activities. To take part in the Worm Charming competition, children will be taking up the challenge of charming earthworms to the soil’s surface using whatever weird and wonderful methods they can think of. Well-known children's writer Julie Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, will be judging a competition for budding young writers to pen poems that celebrate wonderful worms!
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| Children's author Julia Donaldson will be judging the poetry competition.
Julia said "I’ve always loved bugs ever since I was a child and ran an
insect protection society with a friend. My favourite song used to be
There’s a Worm at the Bottom of my Garden and his Name is Wiggly Woo.
Bugs are sometimes seen as a lesser life form but their complexity and
variety is awesome and they should be treasured and respected
alongside other life forms." |
In addition to the two competitions, Buglife will be offering free downloadable teaching resources to enable children to learn more about earthworms and launching a new educational poster about worms.
'Most people could identify 'an earthworm'', explains Vicky Kindemba, 'but few could tell you why they are important and what they do for us. We hope to change this with Worm Week.'
Buglife will be launching Worm Week at St Botolph's Church of England Primary School, Peterborough, with Worm Charming and worm-themed crafts on Monday 23 March
