Waste-Free “Wiggly Worm” Wednesday
Waste-Free Wednesday
For this week’s edition of Waste-Free Wednesday, I’m getting wiggly…as in wiggly worm composting. Don’t be afraid! Worm composting is an excellent way to reduce your food waste, create your own all natural fertilizer, and get your kids interested in gardening.
Worm composting, or vermicomposting for you gardening geeks, helps kids learn about ecology while turning your food scraps into usable compost. Using worms (typically red wigglers), vermicomposting processes organic food into nutrient-rich soil. You can start with a small bin (such as a 12-gallon plastic tub) and a pound of worms, or go larger if you have a large family. This also makes an excellent science project or classroom activity.
No need to feel squeamish…you don’t even have to touch the worms if you don’t want to. Many containers are built so that you just throw in your food scraps and remove the clean compost from the bottom. Here are a few Flickr pics of worm composters:
Feeling brave? Ready to give worm composting a try? Check out the following resources for more info:
Treehugger: Vermicomposting amd Vermiculture
California Integrated Waste Management Board
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
I really want to consider doing this. Hope I could get my 4 year old interested in it too. Thanks for the links!
Great article! Another great kid- friendly activity your readers would enjoy is to grow a TickleMe Plant from seeds and then watching the plant MOVE when Tickled! As a first grade teacher I no longer plant Lima beans, as the growing of this interactive plant, proved to be much more exciting and educational for my student’s.
I found my supplies for a classroom kit at http://www.ticklemeplant.com but they also sell individual greenhouses and even party favors, with everything you need to grow your own TickleMe Plant from seeds. I assure you your kids will be more excited about gardening, and its just fun to watch the expressions of the faces of children (and even adults) when they see the plant close its leaves and droop when tickled,