Kids & Worms
Last spring, I was invited by the ”Friends of Library Association” to present at a free gardening workshop they were putting on for the community. I talked about vermicomposting and it was a ton of fun. I met a lot of great folks and learned a ton from the other speakers, too. A few weeks back, one of those folks contacted me about presenting at her daughter’s elementary school.
She had written and received a grant for $500 to buy two worm bins and four pounds of worms (and a few books as well). The small, rural school houses grades kindergarten through 6th and has a total of 24 students. It’s a two room school and they already have a school garden. The worm composting systems will be put in place to deal with their food waste and produce valuable compost for the garden. I jumped at the chance to go talk to these kids.
Yesterday was the day and oh my it was so much fun! The kids had already toured the local land-fill and their vermicomposting system and had another speaker last year who demonstrated her own bin, so they had a good base of knowledge in place. They were incredibly interested and attentive. I also can’t say enough good about the teachers, parents, and principal because those women were fantastic! Amazing, the whole experience. They’ll be using the worm bins in a very scientific manner, weighing everything that goes in and comes out and using it their garden, of course.
I think the whole idea is just wonderful and I can’t wait to hear about their progress and visit their garden after the snow melts. Honestly, how did I get so lucky?
How awesome Kathie. Because education is a life long process I find it wonderful that this school is preparing their students for a better future while they are at such an impressionable age. Thank you for taking the time to teach them what you’ve learned. There’s no telling how many lives you touched by doing your presentation, it is sure to have a ripple effect as kids are always eager to share with others.
That is incredibly cool. I hope, when my daughter is ready for school, that we can find one with programs like that. And that is really awesome of you to take the time to go talk to the kids!
I think I should research this for the spring. I’m sure you have posted this in the past???
I’d be a total newbie, though I have a sort of compost pile going outside from last year.
How fabulous! I was thrilled to see a vermicomposting area at the San Diego Zoo in the kid-centric “Discovery Zone” section.
What a great school project, too. Hands-on and practical, not just reading about science in books.
That’s so great! It had to have been a blast to visit with all of them and to see them excited about this topic. Ironically the hub and I were just trying to figure out this weekend how to build our own worm farm. I made one in my enviro science class in middle school but it’s been a long time. We checked out some stuff online but I don’t remember as a kid that we had to whirl food scraps up in a blender…..So am hopeful we’ll be able to just feed them regular….well and that the dogs will leave the box we make alone!