news + press
Daily Candy: Learn to Compost like a Pro
August 5, 2010
Urban Worm Girl Helps Turn Your Garbage into Gold
Let Them Eat…Dirt!
March 24, 2010
Urban Worm Girl Featured in Fooditude Video
March 9, 2010
Learn more about how foods affect young people and how to keep healthy eating a part of everyone's life with this educational series of videos from our friends at Fooditude.
Watch for Urban Worm Girl’s appearance in the March edition of Chicago Parent.
March 1, 2009
Find out why composting with worms is such an great family activity and much much more! Visit www.chicagoparent.com
Live Green with ABC7 News Chicago
February 27, 2009
We were featured on ABC7 Chicago's Live Green segment. Check out the video!
Worms Ate My Garbage!
November 1, 2008
West Andersonville Newletter
During a garden worktime in September, I had the opportunity to contribute to the beautiful west Andersonville gardens. A bucket of my worm compost castings has been added to the soil around the newest plants at Summerdale and Ravenswood. Using my kitchen scraps to revitalize the soil in my own neighborhood feels great. The efforts I am making to recycle my kitchen waste and feed it to my composting worms seem so small and yet so important. The cycle of life continues and I am a part of it as well as a part of my local community and the community of the earth.
I started my home composting with worms shortly after a visit to Berkley California. While visiting a friend I learned about the amazing process of vermiculture or composting with worms. Though I was aware of the important role worms play in aerating our soil, I was not aware of their amazing skills as “composters”. Seeing them at work in this small bin my friend kept in her home fascinated me. Clean, easy to maintain and virtually odorless! Well the sweet and earthy smell of the castings actually smelled great! Upon my return home to Chicago, I began the search for the right bin to begin my composting here in my Andersonville apartment. I had always assumed that I could not compost in the city. Little did I know that there were methods other than the traditional backyard tumbler that work great in urban settings.
The arrival of my 2,000 worms and their new home came soon after. A combination of excitement and apprehension filled me. I realized I was now responsible for the lives of all my wriggly new friends, as well as my cat and myself. The words of my friend helped restore confidence, “they know what to do, don’t worry.” Having started a small business based in educating the community about the benefits of vermiculture, I realize that I am not alone in my apprehension and worries. This statement has become the mantra spoken often during the vermiculture workshops I now teach in the community and in schools.
Not only do the worms know what to do, they teach us about the interconnectedness of all beings. What we often consider garbage is a full course meal for the worms. While reducing our waste, we feed the worms and then return much needed nutrients to the earth in their castings. Using less plastic bags minimizes landfill. Being mindful of the worms diet, we may even become aware of our own dietary choices. We see that chemicals used in some inks and pesticides on fruits and vegetables may be harmful to us as well as to the worms. Our growing awareness is essential for the health of the earth and future generations. “Worms Ate my Garbage” and keep eating and eating and eating! Do worms eat your garbage? Visit http://www.urbanwormgirl.com to find out more about composting with worms and how to get started today.
Stephanie Davies is a member of Local First Chicago and owner of Urban Worm Girl.
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