Vermicomposting Program

Since educational outreach is a high priority on the reservation, to foster environmental education while reducing the food waste at the FDL Ojibwe School, a vermi-composting project was established in February 2000. This was a unique opportunity to provide environmental and pollution prevention education to students while also decreasing the amount of solid waste generated on the reservation. The Fond du Lac Reservation was granted financial assistanc Xe from the U.S. EPA Region 5 and the M.N. Department of Natural Resources to develop a vermi-composting program with the FDL Reservation School system.

The goal of the project was deemed successful through these efforts 1- reduced waste, 2- provided environmental education, 3- fostered environmental stewardship and 4- promoted a sense of project ownership in students.

1. The project reduced the amount of waste at the FDL schools by saving $3,246.72 and the total pounds of food waste diverted was 5,172lbs. thus far.
2. Environmental education was provided to K-12 grades on composting, vermi-composting, the decomposition process, recycling, pollution prevention, and environmental stewardship.
3. This project has fostered environmental stewardship through the students participating in the weekly worm feedings, wanting to assist in playing the 'lunchroom supervisor' during lunch periods, having the desire to participate in activities that promote composting and having requested to begin a full fledged recycling program at the school.
4. This project promoted a sense of ownership in the FDL students by visiting other schools to promote the vermi-compost project, having the students service the FDL community by holding a community compost bin giveaway, and by developing their own various contests to advertise this project.

The Fond du Lac Reservation School Vermi-compost Project was successful and is continuing to divert waste and provide hands-on environmental education to students.

For more information contact:
Nathan Reinbold
Fond du Lac Reservation
1720 Big Lake Road
Cloquet, MN 55720
Phone: (218) 878-8023
Fax: (218) 879-4854

Return to Referring Page