News Releases

Worm Your Way to a Greener Classroom

January 8, 2008 Ottawa, ON-Earth Day Ottawa announces the formal launching of Worm Your Way to a Greener Classroom, a pilot project to put vermicomposters in 20 Ottawa elementary schools during the 2007-08 school year.

Tasha Bridgen, Coordinator of Earth Day Ottawa says "Vermicomposting in the classroom gives the students an opportunity to have a direct impact on reducing waste that would otherwise be sent to a local landfill site. This can develop a habit for composting the students may continue throughout their lives."

Bridgen says "Vermicomposting compliments the Science curriculum. Students learn hands on about the importance of recycling organic material, soil composition and identifying living things in the soil."
Worm Your Way to a Greener Classroom is made possible by a generous sponsorship from Waste Management. Waste Management has offered a $10,000 sponsorship for this project as part of their Community Development and Environmental Initiatives.

Cathy Smithe, Waste Management’s Manager of Community Relations says “Waste Management is happy to help purchase composters for students of the Ottawa area so that they can reduce the amount of waste being sent to the landfill”.

The official launch of “Worm Your Way To a Greener Classroom” will be held Wednesday January 23, 2008 at 12:00 at Jack Donohue Public School.

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for more information contact: Tasha Bridgen, Coordinator Earth Day Ottawa (613) 271-2971/(613) 806-2729 earthdayottawa@sympatico.ca www.earthdayottawa.ca

Worm Your Way to a Greener Classroom - Jan 8, 2008 (PDF)