The Worm Ladies Second Annual Vermicomposting Workshop
Join Nancy and Susie at their worm farms in Charlestown, Rhode Island:
161 and 204 East Beach Road, Charlestown, RI, 401-322-7675, 845-559-4561
When: October 30, 2010 from 10 – 2pm
Presenters: Nancy Warner, MA in Education; Susie Fehrmann, MA in Environmental Science
Fee: $75 for both sessions. Includes a light lunch and snacks. A five pound bag of castings is free to the first 10 people to register, pay, and attend the workshop. The workshop is limited to 25 participants.
4 Professional Development Credits available for RI teachers.
Morning session: 204 East Beach Road
The science of worms and vermicomposting:
- Ecology of worms:
- Where do worms fit in the Tree of Life and what role do they play in their ecosystem?
- Discussion of the different types of worms and what they do.
- Worms eating garbage
- Biology of worms:
- The anatomy and physiology of a worm
- Symbiotic relationships with microorganisms
- Castings (worm poop) – what makes them different?
- Brew (aqueous solution of castings) – what is it and why is it good as a fertilizer?
- Review of some of the peer reviewed research using Eisenia fetida:
- Heavy Metal remediation
- Growth hormones and factors
- Industrial applications: Human sludge
Afternoon session: 161 East Beach Road
The practical side of vermicomposting: Hands on session including...
- Vermicomposting with demonstrations using different types of outdoor and indoor bins.
- Troubleshooting
- Nancy’s Worm Brew
- Harvesting the castings with a worm harvester*
- Issues with castings and brew
- Over wintering worms in outdoor bins
- An overview of using worms in different settings: classrooms, households, communities, and commercial entities will be discussed.
If you have a worm bin ready for harvesting, you can bring it to put through the worm harvester.
If you have a bin that you have concerns with, you can bring it with you for discussion.
