Eddy's Good News: The Mary River Turtle Project and worm charming

Virgin Radio

15 May 2024, 15:50

Every day during his show on Virgin Radio Anthems, Eddy Temple-Morris brings you Good News stories from around the world, to help inject a bit of positivity into your day!

Be sure to listen each day between 2pm and 6pm (Monday - Friday) to hear Eddy's Good News stories (amongst the finest music of course), but if you miss any of them you can catch up on the transcripts of Eddy's most recent stories below:

Wednesday 15th May 2024

Today we applaud the town of Tiaro, in Southeast Queensland whose residents came together to save one of Australia’s most endangered animals, the Mary River Turtle which has one of the best nicknames in the animal kingdom. The ‘Bum-breathing punk’!

They get their peculiar name for their amazing ability to be able to breathe through their back passage, and because the algae that grows on their shell and head over time can look like punky hair or a Mohawk. 

The Mary River turtle only exists in one river and its tributaries, one of Australia’s biggest turtles and became critically endangered because of invasive predators and people stealing their eggs. So the 800 strong town came together for the last more than twenty years. Volunteers get up early during nesting season, find their nests and fence them off to protect them from egg pinching foxes and the like. They even raised money by selling chocolate turtles to fund scholarships to study the turtles at University and buy research equipment. 

The bum breathing punks are now making a comeback and it’s entirely down to people like you and me, not a government or a charity, just ordinary people doing extraordinary things and I’m always here to celebrate them. 

Via: goodnewsnetwork.org

If you spot your neighbour dancing on their lawn, there could be several explanations. Alcohol. Controlled substance. Possibly an ex raver, or they could be “worm charming”!

Yes, it’s a thing. Encouraging worms to come to the surface with vibration or soaking in water are time honoured methods of raising the humble earth worm and a bizarre pastime enjoyed all over the world but this time it’s for science. 

Throughout the month of May, 

The Soil Association is running a national worm hunt. The charity will use its findings to create a worm map of the UK, as an indicator of soil health and biodiversity. Worms improve soil structure, aeration, help clean up contamination and boost availability of nutrients, but studies indicate that worm populations have declined by a worrying 33% over the past quarter of a century. So the data they get from the worm map will help us build a better understanding of the health of soils in gardens, allotments and green spaces across the UK and where worms will need help to restore their numbers. Go to www.soilassociation.org for more info and to get involved and dance like nobody’s watching!

Via: positive.news