Worm Poop and LEED for Schools

Worms are incredible little creatures that get far too little respect. So, if you plan on a LEED for Schools certification sometime in the future, consider incorporating worm compost, or vermiculture, as a foundational tenet of your lesson plans. Leveraging worms to help break down and fertilize biodegradable products is a straightforward teaching that has extraordinary implications and applicability. As the LEED BD+C Reference Guide suggests, it can be used to explore “plant ecosystems, biology, and nutrient cycles” all while helping to facilitate a product-driven process.

Vermiculture (also referred to as vermicompost and worm castings) incorporates Red Wigglers or Red Earthworms into the traditional compost process to augment the decomposition activity. And, yes, you read that correctly, you cannot just go dig up any old worm from the backyard! These specific types of worms are adept at breaking down organic matter - from banana peels to coffee grinds - and generating beautiful, nutrient-dense soil with their waste.

In order for your worms to thrive, their houses can’t be just open piles like traditional compost pails. Instead, bins outfitted with drainage and air flow perforations and that are kept at roughly 50 to 75 degree Fahrenheit are essential. If you simply Google “DIY worm composting bins,” more than 50,000 results pop up. Take your pick, and when possible, incorporate the bin construction into the learning process.

Once the bin is complete, help students determine what products can and cannot be put into the worm bin. Discuss how the worms benefit the soil and plants that subsequently grow in that soil. Whenever possible, work with the students to identify a locale for the worm castings - if not the school’s own garden, then perhaps a community garden or nearby farmers’ market participant. In doing so, the lesson can extend beyond the sciences to even touch on economic and local food system topics, while also building goodwill within the community.

For a more comprehensive example of how vermiculture can be incorporated into an academic curriculum, consider this fantastic essay by The Worm Cafe author Binet Payne. The essay is featured on Ecoliteracy.org, a LEED BD&C Reference Guide recommended site.