Butler Middle School begins worm composting
Red, wiggly worms joined an ongoing science experiment at Butler Middle School to the delight of their young caretakers.
As of last year, the middle school raises channel catfish and rainbow trout in a fishery for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. They're the main catfish supplier for Glade Run Lake, and they load their trout into the Connoquenessing Creek as a field trip.
Teachers Dave McCool and Bob Takacs use the program to teach ecological cycles. Fish waste is harvested as manure for a hydroponic garden in which students grow herbs and fruits.
With a supply of more than 1,000 worms, the teachers are introducing decomposers to the lesson. McCool introduced a fifth grade class to the concept Wednesday morning.
William Fielder, 10, said that reaching his hands into a bucket of squirming worms “felt weird.”
“I could feel them running across my hand,” Fielder said. “They were slimy.”
Read more in Thursday's Butler Eagle.
