Environmental Progress - Spring 2001

Secret Agent Worms Dig Into Secret Plot

These secret agents are really underground

Move over James Bond and Austin Powers, here come the Secret Agent Worms. The University of Illinois Extension, with funding provided by the Illinois EPA through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, recently released a full-color kids' book featuring the zany exploits of two Secret Agent Worms, Napoleon Soil and Jane Blonde. ("The name is Blonde, Jane Blonde.") Their first adventure, The Disappearing Earth, tackles the problem of soil erosion.

The Disappearing Earth weaves science into the storyline. With illustrations on every page, the story is fast-paced and visually stunning. The Disappearing Earth combines good science, a great story, and just about every popular spy story of the past 30 years -- from James Bond and Mission Impossible to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

In the story, the worms work for the top-secret, underground spy organization known as E.A.R.T.H., or Espionage Agents with Really Terrific Hair. The mission is to find out why our soil is disappearing, but Napoleon and Jane make this mission an impossible one.

Convinced that our soil is being stolen by a diabolical villain known as Mudfinger, the two worms, and a much wiser grandfather, set off in their speedboat. Along the way they get caught up in the soil erosion process, are bombarded by raindrops and swept away in runoff water.

By the end of this story, the reader will understand the soil erosion process and ways to control it. This book was created and written by Doug Peterson, an Extension communications specialist who has also written for the popular Veggie Tales video series. Doug also worked closely with staff of the Nonpoint Source Unit in the Illinois EPA's Bureau of Water.

Support materials, too

The book targets third through fifth grade readers. It doesn't come with nifty spy gadgets, but it does have some handy supporting materials.

There is the Soil Erosion Teacher's Packet, which includes the book, six student activity sheets, a poster, 40 bookworm bookmarks, and 40 top-secret E.A.R.T.H. stick-on secret agent badges. The packet also includes a 36-page Mission Possible Teacher's Guide, which can be used to conduct soil erosion experiments and spy activities. The experiments are designed to meet Illinois Learning Standards and National Science Standards.

There is also a Soil Erosion Hands-on Science Kit, which includes the teacher's packet and all of the materials necessary -- except for a bag of top soil -- to run the soil experiments.

The Disappearing Earth and its accompanying materials have so far received three Gold Awards in the Agricultural Communicators in Education (ACE) annual contest.

Work has begun on a second Secret Agent Worm book, tentatively titled Beneath the City of Ooze. This adventure takes Agents 001 and 009 into city storm sewers in search of who or what is polluting storm water. The new book will give students a lesson in urban nonpoint source pollution. For additional information on the Secret Agent Worms, contact Barb Lieberoff, Nonpoint Source Unit, IEPA Bureau of Water at 217-782-3362.