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Calling all primary schools - Worm Week is coming!

‘Worm Week’ in March will celebrate amazing earthworms! – primary schools across the country can take part in worm-charming or poetry-writing and win fantastic prizes!

Worm Week 2009: 23 -29 March 2009

All the information and downloadable resources you need to take part in Worm Week are now available - please click here

12 February 2009

Charles Darwin said of Earthworms ‘It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organised creatures.’

photo of earthworm

Earthworm (Lumbricus rubellus) © Roger Key

Earthworms are amazing! There are 25 species of earthworms native to the UK varying in size from 9-35 cm long. Their combined actions are astounding - it has been estimated that earthworms produce £16 billion of topsoil each year! Earthworms aerate the soil and are fantastic recyclers.

Darwin was a huge fan of earthworms. He said that worms are much more important than most people would realize, and that ‘the plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of mans inventions; but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and still continues to be… ploughed by earth-worms’

Spring is a great time to celebrate worms - they are becoming more active and as we dig over our gardens and plant seeds we do see more of them and are reminded of what they do for us!

zebra worms on compost heap

Tiger worms (Eisenia fetida) can be found on compost heaps
© Roger Key

Worm Charming

To celebrate wonderful worms, primary schools across the UK are invited to take part in an Inter-school Worm Charming Competition! Children on school playing fields and in local parks and open spaces will be able to charm worms to the surface using whatever imaginative methods they can think of! Great prizes are on offer - the school that charms the most worms will win a free Bug Day for the school led by The Bug Man - Martin Rapley.

Worm Poems

A poetry competition will also be held – children will be able to write and illustrate worm poems, and schools will submit their top worm poem to Buglife. Again great prizes, including colourful A2-size worms posters are on offer!

Resources for schools

We will have free downloadable teaching resources. Worm Week is a great opportunity to educate children about earthworms.

Register your interest

Worms are amazing creatures that deserve to be celebrated. To register your interest in Worm Week please fill out the form here. Check our website regularly for more information as Worm Week approaches.

Worm Week coincides with a scientific soil and earthworm survey run by Open Air Laboratories (OPAL). They are hoping to gain an insight into the location and numbers of earthworms across the country whilst getting secondary school pupils involved in science. For more information on their project click here.

‘Worm Week’ is a way of raising awareness of the importance of worms in our environment. Earthworms are known as important animals for digesting dead plants to make rich, fertile soil that is great for the garden and for agriculture. However, there are many threats to earthworms and their numbers are declining. Intensive farming methods such as using heavy machines compacts soil preventing earthworms from building burrows; and the use of pesticides also reduces numbers with more earthworms found on organic farms.

Thank you to News International for their kind donation towards Worm Week.

For more bug activities including how to make a bug hotel, colouring sheets and bug puzzles click here and for amazing spider activites click here.