It is said that the Algonquin tribes gave the March full moon this name. This is the time that the earth warms and softens and worms become active again.
Here in Seattle, this has been the case for some time now! I have seen many worms as I work in my garden. Birds are not the only ones who prize these slithering, wiggly treats. Our moles also live on worms. It’s hard to imagine that they gain much sustenance from creatures that are barely there.
These earthworms are actually non-native and invasive. But like the Eastern Gray Squirrel, they have become part of our landscape.
Eastern Washington has the Giant Palouse Earthworm, a pinkish-white, translucent worm that can grow up to a foot long. It’s rare and lives in the even rarer Palouse bunchgrass prairie ecosystem.
This full moon, let’s celebrate our native worm!
Natural Views 