Vermicomposting is a special way of composting that focuses on worms breaking down food scraps and organic material into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. Vermiculture is the process of raising these worms for the purposes of composting. At the Nature Center, we raise red wiggler worms (Eisenia fetida), also known as compost worms for our vermicompost. With only our produce scraps and some hay added, they thrive in a warm, moist enclosure, producing their own high-quality fertilizer known as worm castings. Worm castings take all the nutrients in the food and break them down into consumable pieces for the plants to take up through the soil. We use these castings in our gardens to keep our plants healthy and productive. Our worms are also often used in educational programming to teach about the wonders of decomposition.