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Wiggle worms recycle at library
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Mahoning County Green Team educator Peg Flynn taught the children about worms at the Austintown Library.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Shelli Brewster looked on while her children, Tristan (left) and Taylor, made a craft project at the Wonderful Worms program at Austintown Library.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Melanie Bodine helped her children, Jacob (left) and Grace hold red worms at the Wonderful Worms program at Austintown Library.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Mahoning County Green Team educator Peg Flynn read Diary of a Worm to children at the Wonderful Worms program at the Austintown Library.
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Neighbors | Elise McKeown Skolnick.Grace Bodine is shown holding a red worm at the Wonderful Worms program at Austintown Library.
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
Children learned that worms are nature’s recyclers at the “Wonderful Worms Will Invade the Library” program June 27 at the Austintown library.
Peg Flynn, Mahoning County Green Team educator, was on hand to read Doreen Cronin’s Diary of a Worm and teach the children about vermicomposting.
“The Green Team likes to practice the three Rs,” Flynn said. “Reduce, reuse, recycle.”
Worms can help out with recycling when people compost vegetable scraps, leaves, grass clippings, tea bags, eggshells and similar items.
“Worms love eggshells,” Flynn told the children.
Through vermicomposting, worms, sowbugs, and more turn discarded items, such as egg shells, into rich dirt; in other words recycling. The dirt can be used for gardening with no need for fertilizer.
Shelli Brewster brought her children, Tristan and Taylor, for the learning experience.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Brewster said.
Tristan said he likes worms and learned more about them at the program.
“They eat trash,” he said about what he learned.
The children had a chance to hold red worms.
“The program is great,” said Melanie Bodine.
Her children, Jacob and Grace, love worms and nature, she said.
“We thought this was a perfect combination to experience the library and do a craft and hear a story,” Bodine said.
For the craft project, participants made worms in compost bins using old film canisters, pom poms and craft eyes. Each child in attendance also received an activity book and information on earthworms.