Irwin the Ice Worm? Sounds like a cartoon character huh? Well, it is! Sort of. Irwin the Ice Worm©, spelled “Irwin The Iceworm”©, is an Alaskan cartoon character based on real Alaskan iceworms. Alaskan iceworms live in glacial ice. The first ice worms were discovered in 1887 on the Muir Glacier in Alaska. Today, the iceworm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus, M. harrimani, M. kuril, M. maculatus, and M. obscurus), can be found in Washington, British Columbia, and Oregon as well as Alaska. These worms may be white, black, or blue in color and they are several centimeters long. The Alaskan ice worm is so popular that Cordova, a small town in Alaska, hosts an annual Ice Worm Festival every February.

Irwin the Ice Worm books and funbooks feature several characters. Kids can read about the characters, color them or both, so there’s something for kids of all ages! Kids can also sing along to The Ballad of Irwin the Iceworm. Interested in taking a look at the lyrics? Here you go!

The Ballad of Irwin the Iceworm©

Alaska is very famous for all kinds of furry friends
From polar bears to muskrats the list seems to never end.
But there’s one little animal very few know about

Where he came from no one’s ever figured out.
With big dark eyes, white whiskers too,
He wears white mittens, but the rest is all blue
His name is Irwin the Iceworm and his home is in the ice

We would find that very cold but Irwin finds it nice
And if you should visit Irwin and his friends
I know that you’ll be back to see them again.
In the land where the mountains touch the sky

They live forever because Iceworms never die.
Iceworms are very friendly
They greet you with a smile
You may think they’re kind of funny

But they have the Alaskan style.
In the night when northern lights are shining bright
The Iceworms do their dance in the twinkling light
With their blue tails movin’ to and fro

They dance to the music of the wind of the glacier snow.
And with kids with smiles on their faces
The Iceworms love to play.
They’ll show you the sights of Alaska

And hope that you want to stay.
For a while and see the eagles soar in the sky;
For a while and see the whales as they swim on by.
It’s a magic land so the old one’s tell.

If you stay too long you’ll be caught in its magic spell.
Alaska is also famous as the land of ice and snow
But we know better don’t we
It’s where the Iceworms grow.

Lyrics & Music copyright Allan Gregg

For more information about Irwin the Iceworm, please visit the official Irwin the Iceworm website (Iceworm Enterprises LLC) at http://www.IcewormEnterprise.com.