Hawai'i Nature Squad
Discovering the real dirt on earthworms

Another chapter in the continuing adventures of the Hawai‘i Nature Squad as it investigates wonders and mysteries in nature

When earthworms wriggle under yards and gardens, they loosen soil, making it ideal for plants. Sally Fujimoto photo

"If I hadn’t seen it with my own compound eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it!" said Detective Penny Pinao. The dragonfly detective was gazing through her night-vision binoculars, watching curly clumps of soil coming up from the ground. She and her lizard partner, Detective Andy Anole, were on a stakeout, observing the activities of earthworms.

"I’ll collect a specimen of the dirt clump to analyze back at the lab," Andy said.

The next day, Andy carefully dissected the nutrient-filled clumps, then met with Penny to share the lab results. "Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, in a form that all plants can use - amazing!" he muttered, studying the analysis.

"I suggest we talk to the producers of these castings and get the real dirt!" Penny said.

Later that day, Andy and Penny returned to the garden. Armed with special investigative tools, Andy went to work digging small test plots. Penny pressed her specially rigged stethoscope to the ground. After a few minutes, she detected a very frightened voice.

"The VIBRATIONS!" the voice said. "Quick! Burrow, Alvin!"

"Dig here, Andy," Penny said, pointing excitedly. "I hear something."

"Oh, no! Death by shovel! Aahhhhh!" screamed two erratically wiggling earthworms as Andy’s digging revealed their location.

"Don’t worry, worm, we won’t harm you," Andy reassured them, even though he was not sure which end he should be speaking to.

"I’m Alvin, and this is Amanda," answered the longer of the two worms. "We prefer to be called annelids. We are segmented worms, after all."

"Well, we’re from the Hawai‘i Nature Squad," Penny said. "Detective Andy Anole and I are investigating one of the great mysteries of nature. Everyone says earthworms are good for the garden, but why?"

Alvin chuckled and explained: "We tend to stir things up. We eat up plant litter, and out comes the nutrient-rich fertilizer, filled with nitrogen "

"phosphorous and potassium," interrupted Andy. "I think I’ve gotten a good look at the end result of that in my lab."

"That’s right," Alvin said. "One can’t help but swallow a bit of dirt along with the good stuff. The curly discards you found on the surface of the dirt are our castings."

"Also," chimed in Amanda, "our constant wriggling under yards and gardens makes for loose, aerated, well-mixed soil. The perfect recipe for healthy plants."

"OK, I think we have enough information for our report," Penny said. "But I have to ask. How can anyone tell which end of an earthworm is the tail and which is the head?"

Amanda smirked. "You could always tickle the middle and see which end laughs."

"Actually," added Alvin, eager to educate anyone who would listen about the virtues of earthworms, "earthworms don’t have eyes, noses or ears. We use our skin to alert us to predators. We feel the vibrations of a bird or shovel instead of seeing or hearing it."

"And our skin also acts like a nose, absorbing the oxygen we need," added Amanda with a look of pride.

"Wow. Hey, thanks for the fascinating information," Penny said. "I guess we’ll be going. It was nice to meet you."

"And stay away from those bad vibes," Andy said with a wink.

Have you seen something unusual in nature that you want the Hawai‘i Nature Squad to investigate? Write us a letter with your name, age, school, name of parent(s) and telephone number. Mail it to Hawai‘i Nature Squad, c/o Hawai‘i Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822; or fax 955-0116. You may e-mail hawaiinaturecenter@hawaii.rr.com only if you are 13 or older.

"Hawai‘i Nature Squad" is written by Kim Welch, Kelly Perry and Ati Jeffers-Fabro of Hawai‘i Nature Center, an environmental education organization. It alternates in this spot with "Dr. Gadget’s Science Machine."

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