Environmental Progress - Winter 2003

Environmental Progress : Winter 2003

OPP Sets Up A Nursery

"Formula" includes egg shells, apple cores and lettuce leaves

Dasha Heinemann checks on the progress of some of the red wigglers that are turning lunch scraps into compost in the green plastic worm abode behind her.

There's been a new arrival in the IEPA's Office of Pollution Prevention -- actually, quite a few new arrivals. There are an estimated several hundred of them, and jointly they weighed about a pound on arrival. Length varies, but averages a couple of inches each.

It's safe to say they all look exactly like Mom and Dad, and each other. The red wigglers arrived late in 2002, moving into a break area in the Agency's Springfield headquarters, lodged in a plastic bin that's been dubbed the Wormly Inn. Its lid is kept closed at all times except when the vermi-nannies (worms are "vermes" in Latin) add food scraps that otherwise would be garbage.

The worms eat the leftovers and generate dark, rich and earthy-smelling soil called humus. Worms also eat the bacteria, mold, fungi and other organisms that decompose the waste, sterilizing the compost as they create it. In addition to castings, the resident red wigglers produce "worm tea" which is a highly concentrated liquid fertilizer that does not turn plants yellow.

Since worms like their environment to be dark and cool, keeping their home covered ensures they are not bothered by light or heat. Their bedding, derived from shredded coconut shells, is kept moist at all times, topped with a layer of shredded newspaper to help stabilize the amount of moisture present. Worms breathe through their skins so they shouldn't dry out.

The worms are given scraps from lunches (fruit cores and vegetable peels, lettuce, potatoes, egg shells, etc) topped off with leftover coffee grounds (filters included). They eat about half a pound of food waste per day. Food scraps are buried in the bedding, which eliminates smell and provides easy access for the worms.

The worms seem to be adjusting nicely and reproducing while producing soil fertilizer. In a few months, the worms are expected to have digested much of their bedding and food scraps, leaving behind castings and compost which is destined for use on office plants. Excess vermi castings probably will find their way to gardens at home, as they make up one of the best known -- and oldest -- soil fertilizers.

The staff has created an information board that keeps everyone informed about the progress of the worms. Also posted nearby are lists of food worms like, as well as the foods that are not good for them.

Additional information about vermi-composting can be obtained from Dasha Heinemann at 217-558-2922, or on the agency's website.