Truckee Elementary School and Full Circle Compost have teamed up to create vermicomposting glory for educational and environmentally sustainable purposes in Truckee, California. The story goes like this…
Worm Bins Going To Truckee Elementary
The projected started in 2010 when Tamara Anderson contacted Full Circle Compost to talk all about worms and the proper methods of recycling organic wastes using vermicomposting. Full Circle got Truckee Elementary in contact with Patrick Flynn from Seeliger Elementary on how to obtain grant funding for cool projects such as the recycling vermicomposting project proposed at Truckee Elementary.
Truckee Elementary Ready For Composting Worms
Tamara was able to be a great steward in the grant process because she already owned her own personal Can-O-Worms. After obtaining funding for the project, things got rolling quickly and this week Full Circle and Truckee Elementary finished installing 10 Can-O-Worm vermicomposting systems to begin food waste recycling and educating our youth about worms and composting. Here are pictures and the story of how everything happened:
First the worm bins were filled at the Full Circle Compost facility from their 32 ft flow through worm bin full of billions of red composting worms.
Flow Through Worm Bin at Full Circle
Look at all those worms! Red worms are the best composting worms because their entire reason for being is to eat decomposing food waste and eliminate pathogens through their intricate anatomy.
Loading Red Worms into Can-O-Worms
The bins were then taken to Truckee Elementary with Tamara Anderson.
Tamara loading the Can-O-Worms
The reason Can-O-Worm systems were used in this project is because they are easily transportable to the classrooms and are also easy to maintain and are cleanly. The Can-O-Worms also allow for easy and efficient collection of worm castings and worm tea through the stratified level structure.
The 10 Can-O-Worms now reside in cool dark store-room at the school where students and teachers can take care of their new composting workforce. The Can-O-Worms will be able to be loaded from this room and transported directly to the class room where students will be able to get a first hand experience with composting worms. This is a great opportunity for all the students at Truckee Elementary and the educational experience will be immense for the 2011-2012 school year.
The Worms New Home at Truckee Elementary
Craig from Full Circle will continue to work with the school throughout the year to facilitate the success of the project and also help with the soil fertility program once vermicompost and worm tea is being made regularly. This will bring the project “full circle” allowing the school to recycling and then reuse the compost on their landscape and school gardens.
Tamara and Craig: Making Composting Happen
