Worms revolutionize dog duties

Craig Garcia and Dwight Yeager breed and show four champion Bull Mastiffs, who produce over ten pounds of dog poop every day. Their backyard ten-foot Pipeline worm colony manages this high-nutrient waste as well as kitchen scraps and paper. The self-harvesting lateral flow design is ideal for manures because the vermicast is fully finished, safe and pathogen-free before removal.

Craig says. "No flies, no stink– it is very sanitary and the worms process it very quickly." No more poopy plastic bags in the garbage can!

Culinary Arts Institute of the Pacific studies sustainability

A visit to culinary schools in Japan revealed a far more advanced green consciousness than is typically found in US commercial kitchens– for example, at every food prep station, waste is sorted into NINE separate buckets for recycling. Director Ron Takahashi and other administrators at the prestigious Culinary Arts Institute on the Kapiolani Community College campus resolved to bring their award-winning school up to speed. They started an organic garden to grow their own herbs and other ingredients and sought ways to reduce waste coming out of the kitchens that service a restaurant, cafeteria and grill.

The installation of forty feet of Pipeline worm bins sited alongside the Naio building holds the potential of vermicomposting 500 pounds of food waste weekly when it is fully operational within the year. The bins were a gift of a donor who hopes that if this demonstation project is successful, a full-scale vermicomposting system will be included in the new state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Institute complex now in the planning stages.

Pint-sized wormers put it all together

Assistant teacher Sharon Tamanaha coordinates the worm program now in its 5th year at Calvary by the Sea Montessori Preschool in Aina Haina.

Don't we always say that vermicomposting is so easy even three-year-olds can do it? Here's proof, because these tiny kiddos feed, shred paper, squirt water, and successfully care for a worm colony that eats 100% of the snack and lunch waste generated at their school.

They also use vermicast in their extensive garden and potted plant collection, and screen and package vermicast for fundraising. Sharon, a talented ceramicist, has created charming, one-of-a-kind ceramic worm bins that have enticed many a Calvary parent into bringing worms home.

Calvary started with two Mini-Bins assembled by teachers at a public Worm Workshop. More bins were started at a school-sponsored Family Worm Workshop, all of which were eventually consolidated into a Can-O-Worms funded from a HI-5 drive. A second Can was added as the colony grew.

A child-height ten-foot Pipeline bin meets their current needs. It is situated in an outdoor garden lanai under a tree. Plywood lids that can be securely hooked onto a fence when open prevent any lid-slamming accidents.

Sharon and her little charges are planning a visit to a neighboring school to arrange to import garbage that will supplement their worm food supply. "Our worms are really thriving in this bin," Sharon explains, "so we want to keep expanding."

Windward Community College welcomes wigglers

It took two full years to make it happen. Sandie Carmichael, director of WCC's Media Center, put in a call to Waikiki Worm Company to see if worms could process the mountain of paper waste the copy center generated. YES, they do eat paper, but mostly they eat food waste. Any worm project would have to include the cafeteria staff and culinary students to rachet up nutitional value.

Sandie began a long search for monies to purchase the bin, and eventually found a fund with accumulated summer session revenues that could be used for new campus projects. They purchased two ten-foot units, with the intention of adding more over time.

Certainly there is no setting as spectacular than the WCC campus at the foot of the Koolaus. A convenient site was chosen right outside the cafeteria kitchen doors, alongside Hale Akoakoa in an underutilized drainage area.

One of the challenges of vermicomposting at educational institutions is caring for worms over breaks. WCC has the advantage of being able to partner with their neighbor, the Hawaii State Hospital, to provide food and helpers over school vacations – they, too, have a Pipeline worm bin! Maybe it's catching on....