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Earth Day Features Worms
Earth Day Features Worms
Published 04-20-03
Submitted by Flower Press
Founded 33 years ago by Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22 around the world with events designed to increase people's awareness of our earth, its waters, its air, its soil, its plants and animals. Hundreds of children across the continent will learn about earthworms and how they turn food waste into plant food in a program called Worm Powering Kids sponsored by Flowerfield Enterprises and Flower Press in Kalamazoo.
Worm Powering Kids is designed to empower, educate, and entertain kids by having adults read to them Michelle Portman's new children's book, "Compost, By Gosh!" (Flower Press, 2003) According to The Book Reader, this book is "A charming, light-hearted guide to serious composting for today's ecology-minded child." In addition to the 50 adults, sixth graders from the Rising Stars team in Hillsborough NC will read "Compost, By Gosh!" to younger kids. They will also make vermicompost tea bags to distribute to plant lovers around Hillsborough as part of their Earth Day activities.
"Compost, By Gosh! " was inspired by Mary Appelhof's book, "Worms Eat My Garbage" which has sold over 150,000 copies since its first publication in 1982. Internationally recognized for her 30-year effort to "Change the way the world thinks about garbage. . . to think of it as a resource," Appelhof aka Worm Woman, said publishing Portman's "Compost, By Gosh!" helps further her mission by reaching out to kids who tend to love worms, and who want a safe, green earth to live on.
The Worm Powering Kids team has been assembled electronically through Appelhof's website at http://www.wormwoman.com and through her electronic newsletter which she calls her WormEzine. People who have signed up to read "Compost, By Gosh!" include teachers, parents, community recycling coordinators, Earth Day event participants, students, and even a brother. The book will be read in schools, Sunday school classes, environmental education centers, wildlife sanctuaries, compost garden demo sites and Brownie troops. Kids will learn about how redworms can turn food waste into plant food in Michigan, California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. In Canada, future vermicomposters will come from Ontario and British Columbia after hearing the book. Guaranteed!
To find out where members of the Worm Powering Kids team are reading in your worm burrow, follow the Worm Powering Kids links at http://www.wormwoman.com You can also sign up to schedule an event after Earth Day. . . after all, if we're going to heal this planet with earthworms, we need to make every day Earth Day!
