Worm poop has been a primary focus of the Associated Students Children’s Center at Sacramento State, where the 3- 5-year-olds have been learning to compost.

Their efforts to go green began more than a year ago, when Dannah Nielsen, lead teacher of the children’s center and graduate counselor education student, came up with the idea to compost.

“When I was looking online for nature-based learning ideas for preschoolers, there really wasn’t anything, aside from coloring pages,” Nielsen said. “But this is a hands-on approach. They literally can see it go from food to dirt.”

The Children’s Center has had the garden for about seven years. Shortly before she began composting, Nielsen said she realized the need for the new soil.

“We’d been planting flowers and I noticed the plants weren’t growing as well,” Nielsen said. “So my idea is to constant rotate composting on different plant boxes. Eventually, we will make each box a compost pile.”

Each day, the children put fruit peels, leftovers from lunch and coffee grounds collected from the Java City in the University Union into a large plant box in the yard. The children are also encouraged to collect leftovers and worms from home to put in the pile.

“I like to put stuff like banana peels and pumpkin peels and coffee grounds in the compost,” said Noah, age 4. “Composting is my favorite thing about day care.”

Lauren, also age 4, is another of the more regular contributors, Nielsen said. She brings boxes and containers of worms and food every day.

Lauren, who was very focused on the worm crawling in her hand, said she was too busy to talk, then ran away.

“The kids just love the worms,” Nielsen said. “And there are a gazillion of them in here.”

One participant, Anjuli, 4, said the worms are her favorite part of composting.

“I’m out here to try to find all of the worms I can,” Anjuli said. “The worms just keep disappearing on me, but I really want to take care of them.”

In addition to collecting items to compost from home, Nielsen said the children take part in Occupation Worm Rescue.

“When it rains, and the worms come out, I tell the kids to grab the worms and bring them into the compost,” Nielsen said. “The kids love it. They bring worms from home in plastic baggies and containers. Their parents must think this is so strange.”

Janice Nielsen, grandmother of 2-year-old Natalie, said she appreciates the composting efforts of the children’s center.

“I think it’s great that these children are learning to recycle and reuse materials,” Janice Nielsen said. “They’re starting so young, so they’ll be very well prepared when they are older. These kids are just getting smarter and smarter every day.”

The knowledge and enthusiasm of the children about the project often surprises her, Dannah Nielsen said.

“One time I was eating an apple. When I was done, I was getting ready to throw it away and my daughter said, “No, no! We have to bring it for the worms!'” Dannah Nielsen said.

Before lunch time, the children brought a large plastic bucket filled with leftover table scraps to the compost pile. Dannah Nielsen poured the contents on the pile and put the children to work.

“I have the kids spread the scraps around,” Dannah Nielsen said. “If the kids dig too much, though, things will start flying everywhere.”

The children’s efforts to go green also happen indoors, Dannah Nielsen said.

“We have a worm compost inside in a plastic container that holds nearly 1,000 worms. The worms eat the stuff the kids dump in, and poop it out as dirt,” Dannah Nielsen said. “The dirt is like play dough, but it’s really poop. And, you know, I actually don’t mind playing with it.”

The children also do crafts projects with recycled materials, such as hanging mobiles for the babies.

“Their education starts now. This knowledge makes a difference as to what they decide to drop on the ground,” Dannah Nielsen said. “They’ll carry this with them forever.”

Brittany Bottini can be reached at [email protected].