{"id":77356,"date":"2026-03-25T10:09:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T17:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77356"},"modified":"2026-03-25T16:11:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:11:08","slug":"vermicomposting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/vermicomposting\/","title":{"rendered":"Worms at work: Turning waste into soil"},"content":{"rendered":"

They are\u00a0wriggly,\u00a0quiet\u00a0and\u00a0hidden in the\u00a0soil, but inside a dark plastic bin, these red wriggler\u00a0worms\u00a0are twisting\u00a0through yesterday\u2019s leftovers,\u00a0turning scraps into\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>rich organic soil amendment<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vermicomposting\u2014using worms to\u00a0<\/span>create\u00a0compost<\/span>\u2014\u00a0transforms\u00a0organic\u00a0waste into nutrient-dense compost while reducing landfill\u00a0waste, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health. It requires little space, minimal\u00a0cost\u00a0and no complex technology\u2014just organic scraps,\u00a0time\u00a0and a little love.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While\u00a0traditional composting uses bacteria that thrive in heat to decompose materials, vermicomposting relies on worms to break down\u00a0the\u00a0waste at lower temperatures.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vermicomposting<\/a>\u201cComposting in general is the aerobic biodegradation of organic material, but it\u2019s human-managed,\u201d said\u00a0<\/span>Jeff Meilander<\/span><\/b>, research\u00a0scientist\u00a0and program manager in the Caporaso lab\u00a0at the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) at NAU. \u201cIn\u00a0vermicomposting, we\u00a0essentially\u00a0replace\u00a0human\u00a0labor\u00a0with worms. By adding worms to our organic scraps, cardboard, paper, things like that, we let them do\u00a0most\u00a0of the work.\u00a0Microbes\u00a0present\u00a0in the system begin\u00a0breaking\u00a0down the\u00a0organic\u00a0material, turning it into a slurry that the worms\u00a0can easily ingest.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the worms take in that slurry material, they break it down thanks to the communities of microbes they have\u00a0living\u00a0in their guts.\u00a0As the material passes through their digestive systems,\u00a0enzymes can degrade environmental toxins, stabilize sewage\u00a0sludge\u00a0and\u00a0eliminate\u00a0pathogens.\u00a0Once the material is broken down, they produce worm castings, or worm poop, which are a great organic material that\u00a0contains\u00a0high-end nutrients, improves soil\u00a0quality\u00a0and can increase crop yields.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what\u00a0microbial communities exist in\u00a0worm\u00a0guts? Thanks to\u00a0support\u00a0from\u00a0NAU\u2019s Green Fund,\u00a0Meilander\u00a0and his team of undergraduate students are working on not only answering that question, but on finding ways to expand this earth-friendly process across campus.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Red\u00a0wigglers\u00a0vs.\u00a0earthworms<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"Research<\/a>Undergraduates\u00a0<\/span>Brook Lercher<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Andrew\u00a0Gruesenmeyer\u00a0<\/span><\/b>are\u00a0working with\u00a0Meilander\u00a0in researching\u00a0how the diets of\u00a0red\u00a0wigglers and\u00a0earthworms are linked in forming microbial dynamics by collecting samples\u00a0of compost and worm castings\u00a0and analyzing their DNA composition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve been collecting\u00a0samples of\u00a0compost\u00a0and\u00a0worm\u00a0poop,\u201d\u00a0Meilander\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cWe\u00a0plan\u00a0to extract the DNA,\u00a0then\u00a0run\u00a0amplicon\u00a0sequencing to see what microbes\u00a0are there\u00a0and how they\u00a0are changing over time.\u00a0Which\u00a0microbes\u00a0are beneficial? Are they associated with certain enzymes that could accelerate the process?\u00a0How exactly are\u00a0they\u00a0detoxifying\u00a0the\u00a0material?\u00a0In this preliminary study, we\u00a0want to see what organisms are in the worm guts but also\u00a0how different diets may affect the gut microbiome across\u00a0the\u00a0two\u00a0different species.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meilander\u00a0said\u00a0even though\u00a0red\u00a0wigglers are more efficient\u00a0than\u00a0earthworms,\u00a0both offer economic benefits.\u00a0<\/span>The worms can be sold to farmers, used for soil remediation, incorporated into chicken\u00a0feed\u00a0or marketed as fishing bait, while the worm castings, which are more expensive than compost,\u00a0can be applied across agricultural systems of varying scales.<\/span>\u00a0While they find answers, they are looking to expand their vermicomposting system across campus.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Expanding vermicomposting<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Charlotte Hurley<\/span><\/b>, an undergraduate vermicompost manager, helped develop a large-scale vermicomposting system\u00a0supported\u00a0by the Green Fund. With the help of undergraduates\u00a0<\/span>Ailse Soto Herrera<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0Flinn Scholar and\u00a0Honor student<\/span>\u00a0Cianna Brooks\u00a0<\/span><\/b>as well as Lercher and Grusenmeyer,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>she\u00a0is working on a vermicompost feasibility study to integrate systems across NAU.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0“We want to\u00a0build support\u00a0from\u00a0campus\u00a0offices,\u00a0departments\u00a0and\u00a0students\u00a0on and off campus\u00a0to\u00a0implement\u00a0small-scale vermicomposting systems, raise awareness\u00a0and then\u00a0scale the effort\u00a0across campus,\u201d\u00a0Meilander\u00a0said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vermicomposting<\/a>With large-scale vermicomposting, the university could use the castings in their\u00a0landscaping or even sell them to the community,\u00a0similar to\u00a0what they do with their\u00a0current\u00a0composting\u00a0operation.\u00a0This will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food going into landfills and help the environment, something that aligns with NAU\u2019s Climate Action Plan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need alternative ways to better manage our waste,\u201d\u00a0Meilander\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cWe\u00a0produce a ton of\u00a0organic\u00a0waste that\u00a0ends up in\u00a0landfills that could\u00a0have been\u00a0composted or\u00a0fed\u00a0to\u00a0worms.\u00a0Finding\u00a0more sustainable ways to\u00a0manage\u00a0that\u00a0waste is\u00a0really important.\u00a0Vermicompost systems can really help with that; they are cheaper and\u00a0really efficient.\u00a0They\u00a0don’t\u00a0require\u00a0much\u00a0human intervention\u00a0or\u00a0fossil\u00a0fuel-intensive\u00a0technology like\u00a0giant\u00a0machines\u00a0to turn\u00a0compost.\u00a0By\u00a0using worms,\u00a0we\u00a0reduce\u00a0the cost and time of\u00a0manual\u00a0labor which is desirable for those wanting to be more sustainable. At the same\u00a0time,\u00a0we’re\u00a0getting this\u00a0really\u00a0valuable\u00a0end product\u00a0that can\u00a0boost\u00a0agricultural productivity,\u00a0improve\u00a0soil\u00a0fertility\u00a0and\u00a0help\u00a0address\u00a0topsoil loss\u00a0we’re\u00a0seeing\u00a0around\u00a0the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meilander\u00a0and his team are developing a couple of workshops to show the Lumberjack community what vermicomposting is all about.\u00a0They are hosting a collaborative, hands-on\u00a0vermicomposting workshop\u00a0at the SSLUG garden behind the SBS West\u00a0building from\u00a02-4 p.m.\u00a0April 17.\u00a0They\u2019ll\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0table\u00a0at Earth Jam\u00a03-7 p.m.\u00a0April 18, answering questions and\u00a0showing examples of how this process works\u00a0as well as highlighting\u00a0other\u00a0composting research they are conducting.\u00a0And\u00a0on Earth Day, April 22, from noon-3\u00a0p.m., they will be hosting an event\u00a0to raise awareness around global sanitation\u00a0at the Compost Microbiome Lab\u00a0located\u00a0at the\u00a0Environmental Engineering Laboratory field site<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>behind the APS\u00a0substation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information about vermicomposting\u00a0or to discuss collaborative projects,\u00a0contact Jeff Meilander at\u00a0<\/span>Jeffrey.Meilander@nau.edu<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Northern<\/a>Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
\n(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They are\u00a0wriggly,\u00a0quiet\u00a0and\u00a0hidden in the\u00a0soil, but inside a dark plastic bin, these red wriggler\u00a0worms\u00a0are twisting\u00a0through yesterday\u2019s leftovers,\u00a0turning scraps into\u00a0a\u00a0rich organic soil amendment.\u00a0\u00a0 Vermicomposting\u2014using worms to\u00a0create\u00a0compost\u2014\u00a0transforms\u00a0organic\u00a0waste into nutrient-dense compost while reducing landfill\u00a0waste, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health. It requires little space, minimal\u00a0cost\u00a0and no complex technology\u2014just organic scraps,\u00a0time\u00a0and a little love.\u00a0 While\u00a0traditional composting uses bacteria…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":77357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1829],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-academics","category-student-edition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}