Although the co
nclusion may appear at first startling, it will be difficult to deny the probability that every particle of earth forming the bed from which the turf in old pasture land springs, has passed through the intestines of worms.
– Charles Darwin, The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through The Action of Worms, With Observations On their Habits. 1883.
Inside the wooden box is a vermiculture system called a “worm condo.” The condo is constructed from a series of nested plastic bins – the worms are encouraged to move from bottom to top, converting the food waste stored in each bin into valuable worm compost (castings) as they go. This worm box also functions as a “boom box” – the condo is nested in a soundproofed wooden box, and contains a pair of microphones that amplify the sounds of the worms within.
Little known today to those outside of the field of soil science, Charles Darwin spent years studying and writing on the physiology, behavior, and ecological functions (my term, not his) of the lowly earthworm. In fact, his observations were so astute – previously, most though of worms as pests – that his book initially sold much faster than the text for which he is best known, The Origin of the Species.
Our world, in spite of all its terrifying flaws, is filled with wonders. Ask a soil scientist where the medium of her study comes from, and while she may give you a brief history of the formation of soil, if you ask enough questions, that explanation will always reach the same conclusion: magic.
If you listen for a few moments to the headphones in front of you, you will likely hear the sounds of soil being made. Listen close enough, with enough patience, and you’ll hear magic.