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Worm Charmers Unleash Cacophony for Charity
19 Jun
Summary
- Annual championships in Cheshire, England, started in 1980.
- Competitors use unique methods to entice worms from soil.
- The event raises money for local charities.
The World Worm Charming Championships, a unique event held annually since 1980 at Willaston County Primary School in Cheshire, England, draws participants from across the UK and internationally. Competitors aim to charm the most worms from a designated patch of turf within 30 minutes, employing a variety of peculiar techniques.
These methods include vibrating the ground with garden forks, playing music, and even dancing. The International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes (IFCWAP) enforces 18 rules to ensure fair play and the well-being of the worms, which are returned to the earth after the competition. The event raises vital funds for charitable causes.
This year's event saw 3,396 worms charmed, with the winning team enticing 164. Records for the most worms charmed in 30 minutes stand at 567, set in 2009, and the heaviest single worm weighed 6.6 grams, recorded in 1987. The competition, inspired by similar worm-charming practices in the United States, emphasizes the conservation of the annelids, unlike their fishing-bait counterparts.
