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Our very own worm farm
Over the past several months the tamariki have been working together to get our worm farm up and running. We decided to start up the worm farm in support of our sustainability practices that we follow here at BestStart Kawaha Point. The tamariki feed the worms from scraps left over from their kai and leaves fallen from the trees surrounding their playground. Our intention is that we will eventually sell the worm tea produced from the farm and use the worm castings in our gardens to support our plants growth.
There are a number of learning opportunities that have arisen from regular visits to the worm farm. The tamariki take turns to go in groups to feed the worms and check on the health of the wormery. These visits provide the tamariki with a connection with nature in a unique form. The tamariki are beginning to understand the processes involved in food breaking down into soil with the help of the worms. The conversations between kaiako and tamariki are helping to foster working theories surrounding scientific principles and concepts in nature, such as decomposition, eco-systems and the differences between living and non-living things. Eventually as the worm farm begins to produce worm tea and castings, the tamariki will be able to see the food cycle in action with the link between food waste being used to feed the worms and the worms castings being used to feed vegetables that the tamariki will then be able to eat.