Previous events

There are 29 species of earthworm living freely in soils in the UK. The course will begin by giving a general overview of British earthworm species and how to collect and preserve them (to accurately identify British earthworms they do need to be preserved). It will involve identifying the earthworm specimens collected during the Hampstead Heath Earthworm Survey the previous week.

This two day non-residential event is a great way to get into earthworm recording. If you have some experience of recording earthworms, this event is an ideal opportunity to hone your skills and spend time with like-minded people finding out more about Shropshire's earthworms.

Few people realise that Great Britain is home to 29 species of earthworm. This one day beginners' course will take you through the biology and ecology of these fascinating ecosystem engineers, and explain why all earthworms are not the same. Participants will be introduced to the different sampling methods for recording earthworms. The Earthworm Ecology course acts as a a great introduction to anyone who is planning on attending our two-day Earthworm Identification Weekend course.

The Earthworm Society of Britain AGM will be held this year at the Natural History Museum (London) in the Angela Marmont Centre.

The AGM will include reports on the activities and the successes of the society over the past 18 months and election of the ESB trustees, as well as talks from two fantastic speakers:

This earthworm site survey will be field based and involve sampling a range of sites and habitats. Experienced recorders will be on hand to provide training and guidance to anyone new to earthworm recording. The records generated from the specimens collected will be used to update the Hampstead Heath Earthworm Site Species List. 

Please note that the sampling day will require a reasonable level of fitness and these courses involve the collection and preservation of specimens.

ESB Earthworm Identification Weekends are two-day courses suitable for beginners and more experienced recorders alike, involving a sampling day in the field with an identification workshop the following day. These workshops provide participants with the knowledge and skills they will need to sample, identify and record British earthworms, provide support/verification for existing earthworm recorders and generate new earthworm records/species lists for previously unrecorded sites.

Earthworms are widely known to be vital for a host of ecosystem services. They improve soil structure, facilitating better drainage and aeration of the soil. They recycle nutrients from decaying plant material and animal waste (including human food and garden waste) back into the soil and are essential for agriculture. They are also a staple food source for many of our most-loved vertebrate species: hedgehogs, badgers, birds, frogs and even foxes!

Earthworms are widely known to be vital for a host of ecosystem services. They improve soil structure, facilitating better drainage and aeration of the soil. They recycle nutrients from decaying plant material and animal waste (including human food and garden waste) back into the soil and are essential for agriculture. They are also a staple food source for many of our most-loved vertebrate species: hedgehogs, badgers, birds, frogs and even foxes!

Earthworms are widely known to be vital for a host of ecosystem services. They improve soil structure, facilitating better drainage and aeration of the soil. They recycle nutrients from decaying plant material and animal waste (including human food and garden waste) back into the soil and are essential for agriculture. They are also a staple food source for many of our most-loved vertebrate species: hedgehogs, badgers, birds, frogs and even foxes!

Discover the importance of the humble earthworm to the ecology of the woods. An illustrated talk by Keiron Brown of the Earthworm Society of Britain. 

This talk is free but booking is essential.