It is only a matter of days until Spring will be officially here. Welcome signs from the glorious yellows of lesser celandines and daffodils to the tell-tale blooms of snowdrops, magnolias and crocuses mean that plants are beginning to take advantage of the longer, warmer days. In late March, birds start to look for suitable places to nest and the availability of spring flowers and warm air will attract the first bumblebees.

Earthworms are big-hearted creatures whose value to our world cannot and should not be overlooked. Earthworms are well suited for crawling through the undergrowth or within the moist, layered soils beneath our feet, but how do they go about finding a partner to share their earthen world with and reproduce?