Wiggly Worms and Soil

The Worm 

No, little worm, you need not slip

Into your hole, with such a skip;

Drawing the gravel as you glide

On to your smooth and slimy side.

I’m not a crow, poor worm, not I,

Peeping about your holes to spy,

And fly away with you in air,

To give my young ones each a share.

O no, I’m only looking about,

To see you wriggle in and out,

And drawing together your slimy rings,

Instead of feet, like other things:

So, little worm, don’t slide and slip

Into your hole, with such a skip!

ANN TAYLOR

Worms play an important role in the garden.  As Charles Darwin once said, "They are the intestines of the Earth."  These little 'soil farmers' provide many benefits to plants and to us just by simply living, eating and reproducing.

Some of the wonderful things worms do in the garden:

• Worms eat old plant material and food scraps left over in the soil and break them down
• Worm castings or 'poop' provide food and nutrients for the plants to grow
• When worms wiggle through the soil the tunnels they leave behind allow air and water to filter into the ground and loosen the soil for plant roots to grow

To learn more about worms here are some cool links to check out:

• National Geographic Kids
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To learn more about where your food comes from watch this fun video and song from the Banana Slug String Band: