hooks on each body segment, they moved through the dirt. Then he asked if I knew what earthworms eat. I shook my head. He said,“ They eat leaves and tiny roots in the soil … and make dirt.” He was always a teacher, and to explain he took a piece of glass and placed it on top of a flashlight he had in his tackle box. He laid a stretched out worm on top of the glass and turned on the light. The zig-zag intestine showing thru like an x-ray revealed a long string of dirt. Earthworms make dirt.
I learned castings, or particles of digested materials that pass through a primitive digestive system of the earthworm, create soil. They contain a highly active biological mixture of bacteria, enzymes, and remnants of plant matter. What worms we didn’ t use for fishing were to be returned to the garden.
Overwhelmed with each technical lesson, I just wanted to know about the smell of the new dirt when the bulldozer came. He suspected the aroma was the result of turning over of old dirt onto new. When the new soil was exposed to air he said, the rich odors of decomposing dirt, decaying vegetation, and bacteria is released. He wasn’ t too far off.
Years later, I wondered why as a wildlife student I was required to take a class about soils. An agronomy professor remarked the first day of the term if we wished to learn about wild animals, many of them herbivores, we young biologists had better know something about soils that grow the plants they consume. Among other things, we learned a“ fresh earth” smell is most likely released from a compound called geosmin. It is an organic compound produced by a group of soil microorganisms called actinomycetes. Under a microscope they appear like a cross between a fungus and a bacteria, and were originally called thread bacteria. Once exposed, these thread-like microscopic particles join oxygen to create the earthy odor.
We’ re told to“ stop and smell the roses,” with each outing, a reminder that enjoyment comes from the actual journey, not so much the destination. To that I would add,“ stop and smell the dirt.” It’ s an easy thing to do on your next spring hike, or standing next to a bulldozer, or with a shovel in your hand. •
• Rooms with balcony views • Enclosed pool
• Restaurant • Lounge
• Conference facility for up to 600 people
560 State Road 46 East, Nashville, IN 812-988-2284 • SeasonsLodge. com
Historic Nashville House Serving the traveler since 1859 with old-fashioned hospitality
Corner of Main and Van Buren Streets in Nashville, Indiana
812-988-4554
March / April 2017 • Our Brown County 47