EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF SNAKE CHARMING,

BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT EARTHWORMS COULD BE CONJURED AS WELL?

ONE OF THE MORE MYSTERIOUS OCCUPATIONS FOUND

IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA'S DENSE FORESTS,

WORM GRUNTING IS A METHOD OF HARVESTING

WORMS FOR FISHING BAIT.

GRUNTIN' INVOLVES DRIVING A WOODEN STAKE, CALLED A STOB, INTO THE GROUND AND RUBBING THE TOP OF IT WITH A FLAT PIECE OF STEEL, KNOWN AS A ROOPING IRON, THOUGHT TO MIMIC THE VIBRATIONS OF A BURROWING MOLE. THIS DRIVES THE WORMS TO THE EARTH'S SURFACE, WHERE WORM GRUNTERS GATHER THEM IN A CONTAINER, OR CROAKER SACK.

GARY REVELL, A FOURTH-GENERATION WORM GRUNTER,

AND HIS WIFE, AUDREY, HAVE MADE A LIVING AS WORM GRUNTERS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

THEY HAVE ALSO PLAYED A LEADING ROLE IN MAINTAINING THIS EARTH-BOUND ART THROUGH THEIR WORK AT THE ANNUAL SOPCHOPPY WORM GRUNTIN' FESTIVAL,HELD EACH SPRING IN WAKULLA COUNTY, WHERE THEY PASSON THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO FESTIVAL GOERS.

THE FLORIDA FOLKLIFE PROGRAM RECOGNIZED THE REVELLS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE'S CULTURAL HERITAGE WITH A FLORIDA FOLK HERITAGE AWARD IN 2010.