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What's a lŭm′brĭ 'chī-na ?
The scientific name for an earthworm is "lumbricina".
If you are anything like us, you care about the planet but you are always struggling with finding meaningful ways to help it sustain. We watched worms weaving through a compost bin, changing the soil to a fertile product and we realized something profound: worms effect change by foraging along their own path, together. They use the same vigor to cleanse entire fields and leave rich minerals for harvests.
Our one thing is microplastics, which start out as large marcoplastics. If we can convince you to make your "thing" plastic too, then we can all be Lumbricina earthworms together.
We call our supporters "LUMBY WORMS"!
Microplastics. What are they?
Think of the little fibers from a shedding sweater or the little beads in your face wash.
Seem harmless, right?
Those are both examples of substances that could be microplastics, which are tiny fragments of plastic. They can wash right down your drain into our waterways, which can eventually make its way into the oceans and beaches around the world. But those tiny particles in consumer products aren’t the only source. Many of our favorite products and conveniences, such as plastic bottles, reach the ocean as full-fledged pieces of plastic. Friction, sunlight, and wildlife all contribute to this plastic whittling down into teeny bits of microplastics. There are hundreds of thousands of tons in our oceans, which means they are in our streams, our rain, our drinking water, our seafood-- and yes, our bodies.
Scientists have only begun to scrape the surface of understanding the impact.
The Mission
Randall Poe
founder
I have spent much of my career in Defense R & D, with particular interest in computer simulation, embedded computing, electromagnetic propagation and optimization and machine learning. Increasingly anxious about human environmental damage, particularly damage to the oceans, I retired in 2017 to found Lumbricina LLC and bring these skills to bear on environmental issues.
This is an exciting time in many technological fields such as robotics, biology, software, chemistry and others and we as humans can bring those fields together to make a true difference.
I am also a classical pianist with a fondness for the German romantics, particularly Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, whose brilliant output was unfortunately shadowed by her younger brother Felix.
(click us)
The
Executive
Team
Crystal Mann
executive director
It seems like leading a science operation would be an odd place to find a minister, but having a background in theological studies has been surprisingly interdisciplinary. I am pursuing ordination as an interfaith spiritual leader, which means I care about all sentient beings very deeply. I care about things that live and breathe...I care about things that die and decay. The earth should be something that we all care about, but as it moves from living and breathing to dying and decaying, we need more people that are fed-up and heartbroken.
I am a citizen scientist. I am also a storyteller, communications specialist, and guest educator in our local school district when I have the time. Running our start-up is my full-time job, so drop me a line if you have ideas or want to partner.
Don't just
stand there!
Get in Touch
2401 Walnut St (Suite 102), Philadelphia, Pa 19103
lumbricina@icloud.com / Call/Text 215-909-0175
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