Earthworm Identification with SoilRise UCD

Come learn all about soil biodiversity and earthworm identification in this workshop led by the SoilRise team from UCD Note: Tickets for this event are completely free, if you choose to donate, it will go towards refreshments on the day and other microWild activities in the future. Most of us call every earthworm “an earthworm”. Irish soils hold a whole range of species, and telling them apart is the first step to understanding what’s going on underground. We’re hosting the SoilRise team from UCD for a morning of earthworm identification. SoilRise is a Europe-wide citizen science project mapping earthworm diversity in Ireland, Austria, Germany, France and Poland. Volunteers dig, researchers DNA-barcode what they find, and the results are turning up hidden “cryptic” species, rare ones and non-natives. You’ll learn how to sample a site with a spade, how to separate the common species, and how your records feed into the project. Part indoors, part outside in the field. Aimed at adults, citizen scientists and ecology students. Wrap up warm and bring wellies or sturdy boots for uneven ground.