A well-designed worm composter is opaque and has a secure lid and ventilation holes. Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply, in Grass Valley, California, offers both a deluxe bin and inexpensive do-it-yourself worm bin kit at GrowOrganic.com. Or, fi nd step-by-step instructions to build your own at the educational website, RedWormComposting.com, which also lists reputable sources for worms (the pictures alone are enough to juice kids’ interest). Keep these tips in mind for suc- cessful composting, indoors or out:


n The best worms for composting are red wigglers. According to the Peaceful Valley company, one or two pounds of mature red worms can convert 3.5 to 7 pounds of food scraps into castings in one week.


n Newspaper provides cover. Shred or tear old newspapers into strips and place a fl uffy layer on top to cover food scraps and discourage fl ies. Also use paper on the bottom to provide bedding for the worms.


n Keep the worm bin moist. Periodic spritzing with a spray bottle or fi ne mist from the hose will keep wigglers moisturized and on the move.


n Worms prefer a vegetarian diet; so don’t add cheese or meat scraps to the compost pile. Do feel free to toss in cereal, grains and rinsed, crushed eggshells. If possible, chop up all vegetable waste prior to adding it to your bin to speed up the composting process.


Jessica Iclisoy, the founder of Califor- nia Baby natural baby care products, writes about natural living and back- yard organic gardening in Beverly Hills, CA. She also maintains two worm bins and three composters. Connect at Jessica@ CaliforniaBaby.com.


natural awakenings April 2011 37


oklahomagreenliving ECOpass Benefi ts


Local Sustainability by Kaylee McDaniel


Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) has pro- vided visitors with the opportunity to invest the Sooner State’s sustainability. The program allows people to offset the carbon emissions of their travel by purchasing an ECOpass, which provides farmers with the funds to implement sustainable practices.


S “The ECOpass is a meaningful way to both reduce a traveler’s environ-


mental impact while also benefi ting Oklahoma farmers and ranchers who are implementing sustainable practices.” said Hardy Watkins, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. This program makes Oklahoma the fi rst state in the nation to offer travelers a way to offset carbon while directly benefi ting local landowners. The ECOpass is available through the Okie Boutique webstore on


TravelOK.com in denominations of $5, $15 and $30, each of which cor- responds to different levels of carbon credits. Farmers and ranchers benefi t- ing from the program participate in no-till farming, strip-till farming, grass plantings, tree plantings and improved pasture management. These meth- ods reduce non-point source pollution in water, conserve soil, improve wildlife habitat and sequester carbon. According to research, the methods used to sequester carbon can help


reduce overall carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere while addressing other environmental concerns. The ECOpass allows concerned citizens or visitors to directly impact sustainability practices in Oklahoma through their purchase. “This new initiative with Tourism is a great way to promote conserva- tion of our natural resources, reward good stewardship of the land and highlight the good work that is going on in Oklahoma,” OACD President Trey Lam said. “This is a great program that puts dollars in the pocket of those going the extra mile to protect our natural resources.”


For more information, please visit ECOTravelOK.com.


ince October 2010, a unique partnership between the Oklahoma Tourism and Recre- ation Department (OTRD) and the Oklahoma


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