Whilst we might take them for granted, Aristotle described them as the Intestines of the earth and Charles Darwin recognised their importance when he wrote “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures”. As Brett Westwood discovers these ‘ecosystem engineers’ play a vital role in aerating our soils, aiding drainage, clearing up pollutants and if you’re a Gippsland giant and measure up to 3m in length, making themselves heard from below ground! They have also wormed their way into our literature, charmed our culture and burrowed into our language. Producer: Sarah Blunt. Show less