Go, Worms. Go!

April 18, 2007

There's magic in that bin! Kindergartners at Exeter's Children's Center prepare the "worm bungalow" for the day's digestion.

What do young children love? Among other things, dirt and worms. So, it was great news when the Harris Family Children's Center, Exeter's childcare facility, teamed up with Exeter's sustainability program to develop a small-scale composting solution involving both. Called "vermicomposting," the composting solution turns food waste – taken from the Children's Center and dorms – and turns it into usable fertilizer in less than 24 hours. How does it work? Basically, worms digest the food. That's all there is to it. This simple and easily maintained system can handle up to 20 pounds of food waste per day.

The children love the system, which is housed at the Center, for all the predictable reasons: they get to tip food waste into the bin, turn the crank (which separates the digested byproduct from the remaining food waste), and generally think about what all those worms are doing in there. "It's gross," said one kindergartner appreciatively, looking into the bin at yesterday's leftovers. When asked how many worms live in the system, the kindergartners' guesses escalated like wildfire. "Eight hundred." "Ten hundred." "Ten hundred million!" "A billion hundred!" "A jillion!!" These children have already figured out that composting is preferable to landfills. "It leaves more space for other things," they explain, "like parks and schools and golf courses!"

The worms are having a great time, too. Their new vermicomposting home – called a "worm bungalow" – is heated. Yes, heated! That ensures that all the necessary natural processes continue regardless of the ambient temperature. By all accounts, the worms, who eat over half their body weight per day, are enjoying their new diet tremendously. "They get to eat what they like," explained a kindergartner, as he eyed pretzel remains in the bin.

Of course, it takes a few adults to keep all this excitement on an even keel. Exeter's student Environmental Proctors keep the worm bungalow happy and functional with weekly maintenance visits. And, Exeter's able grounds crew strew the fertilizer onto the lawns and gardens of the school, where plants – and more worms – can benefit.

If P.D. Eastman had only known…

Interested in learning more?
Read about Exeter's sustainability efforts…
Learn about Exeter's Children's Center…

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