the introduction of microorganisms will expedite the composting process. we'll do all of this in class with the kids in charge.
to add the worms just scatter them gently atop their new home of prepared bedding / soil and cover for few days before adding scraps to let them work their way into the bedding. ideally we can set up on monday, save the scraps for the week and add them thursday to allow decomposition over the weekend thereby giving the class more dramatic evidence of decay.
the only variable at this point is obtaining red wigglers in arizona in the summer. they won't survive shipment, they require a temperature between 55 and 80 degrees farenheit. so i need to find them locally. i've tried whole foods, local bait shops, and a couple defunked worm farms. if anyone has a lead i would be thrilled to explore it. i'm going to try prescott and payson (online) and a farmer's market or two tomorrow morning (saturday). i'm looking for 2lbs. if we absolutely have to use earthworms we can, they just take quite a bit longer. earthworms are best at further breaking down already partially decomposed matter.