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Worms Make the Grade at School

MASTER GARDENERS
Worms Make the Grade at School
Saturday, August 24, 2002 | Napa Valley Register

By Penny Pawl
UC Master Gardener

Since becoming a Master Gardener five years ago, I have had the opportunity to introduce worm composting (vermiculture) to several elementary school classes in Napa County. And in every classroom, I have found that the kids love worms.

I start these workshops by introducing the students to an individual worm named Wanda/Wally. I ask them why they think it has both a girl's and a boy's name.

We talk about the importance of worms having babies to keep the worm bed thriving, and I try to explain in simple terms that worms are hermaphrodites or, as I tell them, both the mommy and the daddy.

Worms lay cocoons, which contain the baby worms. These cocoons are sloughed off of the nuptial girdle, which is the fat place on a worm. When the worms hatch, they look like little white threads, and as they grow they turn red. At three months, the worms can reproduce on their own; they live about one year.

I once read that eight worms can produce 1,500 young in six months. Since the worms eat an average of one-quarter pound in a bin per day, they are really chowing down.

I have a big ceramic worm that I use to explain the creature's anatomy. My fake worm has eyes and a mouth, but as I tell the youngsters, real worms don't. Worms have five arterial valves instead of one heart. One student at Calistoga Elementary School wanted to know what would happen if the worm had a heart attack in one of the valves. Although I am still thinking about this question, I did tell them I thought the worm would die if all systems were not working together.

We also discuss why red wigglers are used for worm composting as opposed to night crawlers and earthworms. Red wigglers eat decaying vegetation such as table scraps, fruit and vegetable peels.

My worm bed contains a lot of sow bugs. At first I tried to keep them out, but then I read that they also make good compost so I leave them alone. The students have fun catching them and dropping them back into my bed.

We talk about what kind of items you can add to the bed and why we compost instead of putting our kitchen waste into the garbage. I pass around a sample of the completed compost so each student can see how it looks and feels.

The kids have a wonderful time setting up their own worm bed by tearing newspaper into strips, wetting it and mixing it by hand with leaves. Interestingly, the girls are even more enthusiastic participants than the boys. One girl at the Montessori school in St. Helena sang the whole time.

I explain why they should use only the black and white pages of the newspaper. The black ink is vegetable based and on the worm's approved menu list but colored inks are not.

The youngsters really like adding the worms to the bed. Each student wants to have the honor of putting the worms on top of the bedding and watching them disappear as they escape the light. I tell them that worms don't have eyes but their skin senses the light and they try to escape from it. We look for little worms and, if we are lucky, we find baby worms. We have used a variety of bins, including a Can of Worms, big plastic tubs, and an outdoor composter.

The worm project generates a lot of energy among the students.

As for me, I like to think I am inspiring future worm composters. And since all the energy wipes me out, my worms and I go home and go to bed early.

Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. Napa County Master Gardeners are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4221, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions to MasterGardeners@co.napa.ca.us. Please include your telephone number.

Article used with permission

Original article: http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=B2457DB2-F4C8-4482-A4DC-1982E73F478E

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