Earthworm Sampling Day

Join us on a sampling day to collect earthworm specimens at Dollis Brook to contribute to ongoing ecological monitoring. Come along for a hands-on day of earthworm surveying with fellow nature enthusiasts! You'll help search for and collect earthworm specimens, contributing valuable data to build a species list for the sites. Our survey methods include exploring different microhabitats and hand-sorting soil samples to gather specimens, which will later be identified by trained earthworm recorders. All records will be added to the National Earthworm Recording Scheme, helping to expand our understanding of these important soil creatures. No experience is necessary – just bring your curiosity and a keen eye for wildlife! What will the day involve? • Fieldwork experience in undertaking soil pit sampling surveys to assess soil-dwelling earthworm species. • Hands-on experience of undertaking microhabitat searches to find above-ground earthworm species. • Practical experience in collecting and preserving earthworm specimens. • Recording environmental and ecological data required for the generation of earthworm species occurrence data. • A chance to meet fellow like-minded people from a range of different disciplines. What do I need to know in advance? • This event is aimed at adults only. • It’s free to attend and no previous experience is required as earthworm sampling methods will be taught to all attendees on the day. • Attendance is free, but booking is essential as spaces are limited. • This event will involve the collection, preservation and killing of earthworm specimens for identification purposes. • We'll be outside for the whole day so please bring suitable clothing for all types of weather and please bring your lunch and any snacks you will require with you on the day. • All records collected will be submitted to iRecord in order to share our findings with the site managers, Local Environmental Record Centre and the National Earthworm Recording Scheme. Earthworm Specialist: Keiron Derek Brown Keiron has been running the National Earthworm Recording Scheme since it was launched in 2014. He has run over 100 earthworm training courses and events since 2014, covering a wide range of subjects including biology, ecology, surveying, identification and recording. He is currently authoring a Provisional Earthworm Conservation Status Assessment for the UK on behalf of Natural England. Dollis Brook (Barnet) This Field Recorder Day will take place on the Dollis Brook, an important watercourse and green corridor in the London Borough of Barnet. Specifically, we’ll be surveying part of the Lower Dollis Brook, a 29.45 ha Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). Habitat wise, this section of the brook is flanked by a narrow strip of woodland, mostly sycamore but with a wide range of other trees and shrubs, including some old oaks. Although these lower reaches are less natural than the upper brook, the site forms a valuable green corridor through suburbia. The brook is heavily shaded, so aquatic plants are largely limited to Himalayan Balsam and occasional clumps of Yellow Iris and Pendulous Sedge. Sticklebacks live in the water, and kingfishers nest in its steep clay banks. The path alongside is part of the Brookside Walk, established by Finchley Council in the 1920s and now incorporated into the Dollis Valley Greenwalk. You can find out more about the site and its wildlife on the Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL) website here. This Field Recorder Day is being delivered by the Biological Recording Company in collaboration with the London Borough of Barnet.