STUDENTS at Boisdale Consolidated School were treated to some worm farm education from the Wellington Shire Council education department in Term 1.
The program taught students about the important role worms play in the ecosystem, and will support the school’s kitchen garden curriculum.
The Wonderful Worm Education Program was run by shire educator Sharon Ray, and involved students getting their hands dirty as they discovered lots of facts about worms and established three onsite worm farms.
They learnt what worms can and can’t eat, and how to use the castings to improve the school’s garden and orchard.
The school’s gardens play a central role in the kitchen garden program, with students involved in planning, growing, harvesting, cooking and eating the produce.
Classes alternate between cooking and gardening every fortnight, teaching them about sustainability and developing healthy life habits.
Those in the community volunteer their time to support the program, bringing in a wealth of expert knowledge and age-old recipes for students to enjoy.
“Combined with our onsite chickens and the Cows Create Careers Program we run later in the year, students at Boisdale are getting a deeper understanding of the agricultural industry and local ecosystem,” kitchen garden co-ordinator Lionie Armitage said.
“Many of our school families live and work on farms or in jobs that support the local agricultural industry.
“We want our students to learn about sustainability and gain knowledge and skills that they can use at school and at home.”
Grade 1 student Luca Hodge enjoyed getting his hands dirty exploring the world of worms.
“I learnt that the saddle comes off the worm’s body and turns into an egg,” he said.
Rhubarb and apple muffins were on the menu during last week’s classes, with all scraps being fed to the newly created worm farms.
Worm farm education has been a great addition to the life and times of the school.
