Annabel, Amelia, and Sloan started out by teaching their classmates how to sort their trash at lunch. Fruits and veggies without any sauces or dressing went into a bin for composting.
The girls, who call themselves the Three Composteers, got another bin for their classroom. They filled it with soil, strips of newspaper, worms, and food they’d collected. The worms feasted on the scraps, which are rich in nutrients. After a while, the worm poop became fertilizer.
Prairie Winds now has two worm bins. The compost helps veggies grow in the school garden. The crops are used to make snacks like zucchini cake.
Sloan says composting can be hard work since compost needs to be cared for just like a garden. “But it’s a lot of fun,” she says.
Thanks to the girls, the school now produces four or five fewer bags of trash each week. The Three Composteers are proud to be doing their part and hope to inspire other students.
“It’s good to know that, as a kid, you can do something to help,” says Amelia.