Skeptic Project

Targets of the crime of organized stalking and electronic harassment (OS/EH) are systematically stripped of their reputation, their friends, their families, their ability to earn a living, their health, and the stalking group members intensely interfere with every pleasure the target shows an interest in. OS/EH targets who cope successfully are allowed a few very simple pleasures, most of the time, anyway.

One of my coping measures in my 29 years as an OS/EH target has been to interact with wildlife. Perpetrators have committed Nazi-level harassment and butchery against wildlife and pets, but I have learned how to enjoy at least some wildlife encounters. My article on making friends with squirrels, for example, outlines that simple, low-cost pursuit of pleasure:

http://www.multistalkervictims.org/sqfriend.htm</p>

Well, I'm now living in an area where I have no access to squirrels or any other warm-blooded wildlife. Not a happy situation. However, I've acquired, over the past few years, an alertness to wildlife suffering. I also will never forget the three horrifying two-week torture sessions of a conscious and aware (verified by videos) Terri Schiavo as the Pinellas County judge george greer mandated three attempts to kill her by thirst, the last one succeeding.

During my working career, I never gave the little friends of the Earth, the earthworms, any thought at all. But now being retired, and more aware of animal suffering generally, I arrived at the point where I realized that these dear little creatures, who do only good things for our planet, suffer and die a terrible painful death by thirst when they get lost on a dry sidewalk.

So the question posed itself to me: "What do you do, when you come across a suffering animal? Do you turn your back, or try to help?"

For me, the answer is a no-brainer - you HELP.

By the way, one of the best ways to help is to take courses offered to those who seek to become licenced wildlife rehabbers, even if you don't plan to go that far yourself. Learning about wildlife is very interesting.

Locating and keeping contact information for your local licenced wildlife rehabbers is an excellent way to prepare for helping wildlife in trouble. Having minimum orphaned animal transport gear with you when you drive or walk is another good idea.

Anyway, after retirement, I began a personal program of rescuing earthworms. It is not the most pleasant activity in the world, however, I find that it is a fount of really good feelings. And really good feelings are in short supply for OS/EH targets! And it costs nothing in terms of money.

And although the body language of earthworms is limited, I like to think I see at least signs they are more comfortable after my rescue procedures.

So I am writing this article to share my rescue procedures with other OS/EH targets, who have a concern for animals, and thus may benefit from this type of activity. By the way, I've had compliments from members of the public for doing this.

WHEN TO RESCUE

If I'm out walking, and it is actively raining to the point where the sidewalk surface is thoroughly wet, I don't feel obliged to rescue any earthworms, although I usually do stoop down and set them into adjacent grass or weeds. Over time, I find that 99.9 percent of earthworms who are out on a fully wet sidewalk manage to find their way off the pavement.

Once the rain stops and the sidewalk is just damp but not actually wet, I go to work.

TRIAGE

Triage, choosing which earthworms to rescue is very sad. I choose to rescue earthworms who are moving, or who may not be moving but still are supple, not stiff. There is a sad grey area when earthworms are beginning to stiffen from drying out, but still have some obvious flexibility. Generally I give the benefit of the doubt and pick up earthworms who have some degree of drying out stiffness but are not completely stiff.

I rescue earthworms who are being attacked by ants. They may be dead, or soon to die, but I can't tell since the ants seem to paralyze their victims. I pick them up anyway, and brush off the ants, because if they are paralyzed, I want to get the ants off of them and get them to a shady spot where their last minutes or hours on the Earth can be as comfortable as possible.

I also rescue caterpillars who are being attacked by ants, and garden slugs out on the pavement, as they are in a similar situation to the stranded earthworm.

PICKING EARTHWORMS UP

Picking up earthworms without hurting them can be tricky, especially if they are small, and/or skinny. For this purpose, I carry a small soup spoon. I place the spoon's edge against the ground, almost vertically, and gently pull the worm sideways and up on to the concave side of the spoon. This avoids injury.

(For rescuing garden slugs, this method also reduces the amount of gooey stuff slugs emit when picked up getting on your hands.)

REHYDRATION

Earthworms and slugs out on the pavement in dry conditions, virtually always except during actual rain, are experiencing dehydration. Even if they aren't too badly dehydrated yet, they will be very very soon, as their bodies don't hold much water.

Along with dehydration, earthworms often pick up a coating of sand which will prevent them from being easily rehydrated, and even if they are returned to a lawn, that sand coating will prevent normal absorption of nutrients.

Rehydration is their greatest immediate need. For small worms and slugs, I place them in the palm of one hand, and pour a small puddle of water from the half liter drinking water bottle I carry at all times.

If an earthworm is obviously peppy and moist, I keep them in the puddle just long enough to dissolve the sand coating off. That takes maybe 3 minutes, during which time I'm continuing my walk to my destination. Then I try to find a shady spot to release the worm, and if conditions are very dry, I may dig a slot in the soil with a spoon I carry, gently lay them in the slot, and fill the slot with water. The water doesn't remain long enough to drown them, but does makes some of the nutrients in dry soil available for osmosis through the worm's skin.

However, many earthworms have been dehydrated for some hours, and are sluggish, obviously suffering the effects. It is awkward to walk and keep your palm level so a rehydration puddle stays put. Furthermore, for medium to large earthworms, your palm isn't well suited to rehydrating them.

So I use a 2-1/2 inch diameter clear plastic container with a screw-on lid, illustrated at the top of this article. This container can hold several worms and a generous amount of water, and with the lid on, leakage is minimal and it can be carried easily as you walk. There is no need to worry about oxygen - sluggish worms use very little and they are never in the rehydration tank for more than 15-20 minutes.

When it's a long walk to a favourable worm release location, and there are multiple worms with heavy coatings of sand to dissolve off, I may change the water once or twice.

CAUTION: Do not leave worms in tank for extended periods. That is why a CLEAR plastic tank is essential, to avoid forgetting them.

Obviously, worms rescued from puddles don't need rehydration. I do try to place them in a shady area favourable to their best health.

WORM RELEASE LOCATIONS

Because adequate hydration is extremly important for tiny creatures who can only carry a limited supply of internal water, I put effort into finding places where a rescued worm will have the best chance of survival, or if in the process of dying, at least being comfortable.

In my current location, the lawns are generally terrible for earthworm survival. They are gravelly and bony (lots of rocks), have very little humus (organic material) content, and dry out almost immediately after the rain stops. Even if a worm is found in front of such a lawn, I will carry it to a better location. Simply placing it on a dried out gravelly lawn is just a longer death by thirst.

So I look for areas that have at least some humus, are shaded, and ideally in an area known for more than average moisture. Depressions along property lines, with shade trees are good candidates.

I don't know if evergreens make the soil unfriendly to earthworms, but I've noticed over my lifetime that earthworms aren't found near stands of evergreen, so I avoid placing rescued worms near evergreens.

I try to avoid places with ant populations, and of course places with heavy foot traffic.

Because such locations are widely spaced along my walking routes, the time it takes to reach them is put to good use because it gives the worm(s) in the rehydration tank a chance to absorb more water.

AT THE POINT OF RELEASE

When I get to the chosen point of release, I try to find a clump of rich grass growth, indicating good moisture and soil nutrients. I work my hand down through the grass and open a small patch where the soil itself is exposed. The surrounding vegetation provides some protection against the earthworm's enemies - sunlight and wind.

I place each worm, one at a time, on the area of exposed soil. It's important, I feel, to ensure they are not jumbled together, as there is the risk that their natural mucosal coatings may glue them together.

If the soil is dry, I will dig down a bit, trying to find moister soil. Unless the soil is noticably moist, after I place the worms in the open soil area, I apply a generous amount of water. That gives them a final drink, and makes some soil nutrients readily available for the earthworms to pick up through their skin.

Finally, I gently cover the open area with grass and leaves. That is to minimize the dehydrating effects of the sun and wind. I do not cover them with soil, as a dehydrated worm is typically weakened. A good covering of grass and leaves, and the soil having been wetted, gives them the best chance of survival, or, reasonable comfort for their last minutes or hours of life.

EARTHWORM RESCUE SEASON

Although I live in relatively cool Ontario, Canada, my earthworm rescue season has sometimes extended as early as late March, and as late as mid-November. I find that these northern earthworms can be just as peppy and flip around as quickly as a small warm blooded animal can. (I don't remember earthworms in more southern locations moving so quickly.)

I find that they try to jump out of my hand at first, but when they feel that puddle of (blessed) water, they relax and take full advantage of the welcome relief from thirst! They do seem to recognize that they are suddenly better off than they were a minute ago.

Is it worth the hassle? Absolutely! The feeling of helping suffering wildlife is a wonderful contrast to the usual fare of being an organized stalking and electronic harassment target.

http://www.multistalkervictims.org/ewrescue.htm