Events

Glaciated regions of North America are devoid of native terrestrial earthworms. Earthworms such as the common nightcrawler and red worm are European species that arrived during settlement and have become naturalized. Jumping worms represent a second wave of invasion. Endemic to Japan and the Korean peninsula, these new earthworms are quickly invading deciduous forests in dozens of States, including all of the neighboring states to Michigan. They have also been reported in south-eastern and south-central counties in Michigan.

In his presentation, Brad Herrick, ecologist and research program manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum will focus on how jumping worms differ from other earthworms, how they spread, potential long-term impacts to the environment, and what steps we can take to minimize their spread and impact.