Image
Ranging 2”to 9’ feet, earthworms move miles and miles of earth for us. As children, many of us discovered earthworms while playing in the dirt. We either loved them or thought they were gross—but, their role on our planet is undeniably essential. Earthworms are very important recyclers—a role Charles Darwin recognized. In fact, his last published book in 1881 was about earthworm behavior and ecology.Earthworms are decomposers: they eat and break down dead plant and animal material in the soil. As they burrow, ingest dirt and poop, they turn the soil and put nutrients back into it.