LAC LA BICHE - On Oct. 17, residents of Lac La Biche County will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop focused on teaching the basics of vermicomposting. The workshop takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at McArthur Place.
What is vermicomposting?
Vermi is Latin for worm, and composting is the natural breakdown of organic waste that can produce nutrient rich soils, so this is a session on using worms to help the composting process, says Julia Shapka, a seasonal environmental technician with Lac La Biche County’s Environmental Services.
While working closely with these slithery critters may not exactly sound appealing, a facet of the process goes a step further — working with worm poop. Called ‘castings’ the poop is just another benefit that Shapka says comes with vermicomposting.
“This creates a nutrient-rich compost to use in house plants, gardens, etc.” she told Lakeland This Week.
For this year’s free composting workshop, the County is partnering with representatives from LICA – Environmental Stewards (Lakeland Industry and Community Association), who will be providing participants with the worms, supplies, and presentation material.
“Each participant will get a bin to keep their worms in, along with what and what not to feed them, and how to deal with common issues that might arise,” Shapka explained.
Waste Reduction Week
The vermicomposting workshop is one of the events being hosted in Lac La Biche County for Waste Reduction Week, which is from Oct. 16-22. Waste Reduction Week is an annual nationwide campaign that was first established in 2001. Since its origin, the municipality has held events and workshops in a bid to promote good waste reduction practices.
Landfill tours
Along with the workshop, the week includes a landfill tour for local students, a canning workshop at the Festival Centre in Plamondon on Oct. 19, and the annual hazardous waste roundup on Oct. 21.
Shapka said the week of activities — especially the worm composting — has drawn great turnouts in past years.
“I have heard a lot of feedback from participants who still have their worm bins and are very happy with them. They are also great for urban residents who may struggle with what to do with food waste and don’t have the space for other types of composting,” she said, adding that worm bins are low maintenance, have no smell, and take up minimal space.
Anyone who is interested in attending the vermicomposting workshop can register in advance by phone at 780-623-6739, or email [email protected].
