{"id":5758,"date":"2026-06-01T19:24:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/?page_id=5758"},"modified":"2026-06-01T19:24:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:24:47","slug":"linking-vermicomposting-inputs-to-microbiome-function","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/linking-vermicomposting-inputs-to-microbiome-function\/","title":{"rendered":"Linking Vermicomposting Inputs to Microbiome Function"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"eplus-bg-color-row bg-color-extra-light-gray\"><div class=\"eplus-bg-color-row-content\">\n<h2>Linking Vermicomposting Inputs to Microbiome Function<\/h2>\n<div class='shortcode-column-container'><!-- shortcode-column -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-column shortcode-column--count-2\">\n    \n<h4><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Project Summary: <\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Undergraduate researchers Brooke Lercher and Andrew Grusenmeyer, advised by Dr. Jeff Meilander, are advancing NAU&#8217;s sustainable waste management practices through an innovative vermicomposting study. Building on a previously established Green Fund site, the team is investigating how different worm species\u2014specifically red wigglers and earthworms\u2014and diverse food waste diets influence microbial communities within compost systems. Over a four-week period, the students are analyzing samples to identify the most effective combinations for breaking down organic matter. This research provides actionable guidance for campus compost operations, helping to optimize nutrient cycling and divert complex food waste from landfills. By collaborating directly with the SSLUG Garden and the Office of Sustainability to share their findings through hands-on workshops, Brooke and Andrew are empowering the campus community while actively supporting NAU&#8217;s broader zero-waste and climate action goals.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<!-- shortcode-column -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-column shortcode-column--count-2\">\n    \n<h5>Project Lead:<\/h5>\n<p>Brooke Lercher<\/p>\n<h5>Project Advisor:<\/h5>\n<p>Jeff Meilander<\/p>\n<h5>Date:<\/h5>\n<p>2025-11-11<\/p>\n<h5>Funding Amount:<\/h5>\n<p>$3,990.00<\/p>\n<h5>Department:<\/h5>\n<p>Biological Sciences<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/136\/2026\/06\/Vermicomposting_Inputs_Microbiome_2026_Research_Proposal.pdf\">Supporting Documents<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3002,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5758","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3002"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5758"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5760,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5758\/revisions\/5760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/green-nau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}