ISU Extension hosts Wonderful Worms Day Camp ...

Youth from Lansing (pictured in group photo above) and Waukon (pictured in group photo below) explored the wonderful world of worms in June. They received hands-on learning with roughly 1,000 composting worms. The youth started off with a worm questionnaire to test their knowledge and learned some surprising new facts, such as worms hatch from cocoons, they don’t have eyes or teeth, and they breathe through their skin. They were able to compare composting worms to nightcrawlers and get a better look at each with magnifying glasses. Youth learned more about worms while completing experiments which included testing if worms liked wet or dry surfaces, rough or smooth surfaces, if they preferred the light or dark, and also if worms had a preference for smells. Before leaving, youth made their own composting bins with newspaper, learning how much to add and how wet it should be. After a snack of bananas, they fed their worms the peels and learned worms do not like citrus fruit, meat, bones or fatty foods. They’ll keep their worms in a cool, dark place and feed them one to two times per week. For more information about 4-H and upcoming activities contact Becky Rea, 4-H K-12 Program Coordinator, at the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office at 563-568-6345 or http://www.extension.iastate.edu/allamakee/. Submitted photos.