June 10, 7 – 8pm: The Worms Beneath our Feet and Our Worm Bins: Kris LaMar, Master Gardener

Worms get a bad rap. “Can of worms.” “Food for worms.” “Worm one’s way in.” Only “Bookworm” implies anything worth respect. But we gardeners really should accord them that. That may be why Charles Darwin studied them for 39 years over 100 years ago. Since the publication of Mary Applehof’s book “Worms Eat My Garbage” in 1982, public interest has grown in the topic of vermiculture, or worm composting. Composting is we humans’ attempt to manage worms’ lives, and profit from their waste. But Mother Earth developed the technique of soil health and enrichment millennia ago, and worms have been a major part of that ever since.

Kris LaMar retired from the legal profession in 2009, and became intrigued by soil health after moving to an acre in Damascus. She has been composting throughout her journey as a Master Gardener and Master Recycler since 2013. Intrigued by the interactions between and among soil elements, she is a frequent speaker on soils, microbes, soil health, and the practically unknown value of worms in our environment. Although garden club members and library patrons have been appreciative, her work with pre-school through middle school students has opened a new audience of worm fans. Perhaps they, too, can become bookworms.