As winter slowly thaws into spring, there are buds, blooms, birds, and other new nature discoveries emerging every day! This month, you and your family can join us as we gear up for seasonal phenology – through observing and recording natural events like melting ice, new hatchings, flowing tree sap, new blossoms, and migratory arrivals. Visit […]
Did you know that earthworms ARE NOT native to Wisconsin!?![]()
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It’s hard to believe but it’s true. While there’s no real way of knowing if there were worms here before glaciers altered the landscape of the state, we do know that our forests evolved without the presence of earthworms. While there are worms native to North America (mostly in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest), the species found in Wisconsin all originate from Europe and Asia.![]()
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They were brought over with non-native plants, living in the soil the plants were transported in. There are also species that were introduced by fishermen dumping their leftover bait on the side of rivers. Because of this, certain types of worms are extremely abundant on the shores of Wisconsin’s waterways. Many people believe that earthworms are harmless, or even good for the environment but that's not entirely true. While good for your garden, earthworms are detrimental to our native northern forests. ![]()
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Forests rely on leaf litter to shelter small animals and insulate the ground, becoming mulch that helps wildflower seeds grow. Leaf litter decomposes slowly with bacteria and fungi but worms eat it up at a much faster rate. The worms can even eat the wildflower seeds themselves. The worm’s diet leaves (no pun intended) a hostile environment for seeds and reduces the abundance of shelter and food sources for animals.![]()
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Programs like the Great Lakes Worm Watch have dedicated themselves to researching and studying the effects of invasive earthworms in the Great Lakes Region.![]()
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Learn more here: wormwatch.d.umn.edu/ ![]()
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Photo: Aldo Leopold Nature Center![]()
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#PhenologyFriday #Earthworms #InvasiveSpecies #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside
