Nature Recording Hub
Discover how to record the wildlife in your urban environment.
Soil and soil fauna survey methods and ID guides
Do you know what worms and other hidden creatures are living in your soil? You might be amazed by the diversity and importance of these organisms for your garden.
If you'd like to learn more about the soil communities, we've has a selection of survey methods and identification guides. We have options for for beginners and for those with a little more experience.
Download the full catalogue (PDF 1.3MB), or read the links below.
Soil and soil fauna survey methods and ID guides catalogue
Download the full list of soil and soil fauna surveys and ID guides
Soil surveys and ID guides for beginners
Soil dwellers spotter guide
Royal Horticultural Society
A simple spotter guide to some of the invertebrates you might find in soil.
Equipment: Trowel, white tray, magnifying glass.
🕳️ Earthworm watch resources
Natural History Museum and Earthwatch Institute
Understand more about earthworms in your local green spaces. The data collection for this citizen science project has ended, but the website still contains useful resources and activities.
When: The survey is best done in spring or autumn, which is when earthworms are most active.
Equipment: The survey pack, a spade or trowel, 2 x 500ml bottles of mustard water, clean water, large plastic bag, stopwatch, two containers to store worms in (eg yoghurt pots), 15ml vinegar.
Soil texture test
Royal Horticultural Society
A simple sensory test to see what type of soil you have.
Equipment: None.
Soil surveys and ID guides for those with a little more experience
Earthworm recorder’s handbook
The Earthworm Society of Britain
Earthworms are hugely underrecorded in Britain. The national earthworm recording scheme has published a handbook providing guidance on surveying, preserving specimens and earthworm anatomy.
There are a range of surveys described, including mustard sampling, soil pit sampling and site surveys. You can submit your records to the scheme on an excel spreadsheet which can be downloaded, or via the scheme's iRecord activity (linked on their website).
Equipment: Pages 10-15 of the guide detail the equipment required for different survey methods.
Identifying earthworms
The Earthworm Society of Britain
A page signposting earthworm identification resources (some of which are not online or free).
Equipment: You may need a microscope for some features.
Earthworm identification key
The Earthworm Society of Britain
A range of online keys to identifying earthworms.
Equipment: You may need a microscope for some features.