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make a wormery

They might be little insects, but earth worms make a big difference to our soil by making holes to help water and air reach all its layers. Follow these steps to build your own wormery and get a closer look at these wriggly helpers in action.

you'll need

a big jar

sand

damp soil

dead leaves

a scrap of fabric

an elastic band

some paper (optional)

some worms (not optional)

Step 1

Fill the bottom of your jar with a thin layer of sand, then a thicker layer of soil. Repeat until the jar is three quarters full.

Step 2

Put a handful of dead leaves on top of the soil. Then gently lower your worms into the jar and leave them to burrow down.

Step 3

Poke some air holes in the fabric, stretch it over the opening of the jar and hold it in place with an elastic band.

Step 4

Worms are used to being underground so it’s best to keep your wormery in a cool, dark spot. You can even wrap a sheet of black paper around it to make extra sure it’s dark in there.

Step 5

Keep the wormery nice and damp with a sprinkle of water here and there, and watch how your worms tunnel, burrow and make themselves at home.

Step 6

When you’ve finished watching your worms do their thing, release them back into a dark, damp spot that’s out of harm’s way.

outside our drinks

stuff to do this autumn

Autumn is the chilly opposite of spring, so get your sweaters on standby and have a go at some of these hand-picked activities.

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