1. WORM WORLD

2. Overview of the Worm Project Using a worm bin created and distributed by the NYC Compost Project, I will compost my kitchen scraps for more than 3 months indoors. Using 1 pound of red wiggler worms, my food scraps will be broken down into nitrogen-rich compost soil via worm waste- known as vermicompost. Using worms will help me better understand the natural cycles and systems this world provides me with.

3. The Worms Red Wigglers live in the top layer of soil, unlike other worms that burrow deep. They can and will eat half their body weight in food scraps daily. The ideal composter! These worms thrive in areas with tons of organic matter (food). They reproduce rapidly, creating up to 100 new worms in their year life span (which can be controlled by how much food they receive).

4. Worm Food Simple: fruit and vegetable scraps The worms can’t break down food items that have been cooked in oil or other substances (sauce, spices, etc). Meat and poultry tend to smell bad and also take longer to break down, attracting flies and other interested critters… Coffee grounds and tea bags are also okay for the worms to break down, so the Tisch café might have a new home for its coffee left overs! 1 pound of worms consumes 3 pounds of scraps a week.

5. The Bin NYC Compost Project provides NYC residents with this bin for $55. It comes with everything you need to begin composting, even the Red Wigglers. The newspaper provides a bedding for the worms to do their work. The moisture content of the bin is key (hence the spray bottle), as the worms need to absorb a very specific amount of moisture to be happy composters.

6. Why I’ve chosen to begin this project for many reasons: -I love worms -I want to reduce the amount of waste I produce -I want to learn how to compost on my own -I want to inspire and educate those that experience this project with me.

7. The Theory I believe the Worm Project will demonstrate the beautiful and necessary harmony of matter that can exist within any ecosystem. We consume so much, yet we are blind to the processes that accumulate with that consumption. These worms, and this bin, will provide concrete evidence that nothing is ever garbage. All matter has more than one function. Worms are more than just freaky looking critters. Kitchen scraps are more than just waste. What we consider to be useless to our purposes can actually change the human impact on earth.

8. The Way of the Worms This is quite literally the very beginning of this project, but I do hope that in the coming months, these worms can show me a little something about what it truly means to give back to this planet. I will observe the worms as their own community as well as their effect on my own. I will follow the way of the worms to a better future for myself, the soil, the plants and hopefully for all of us