They wiggle. And they’́re squishy. Packed together among clumps of earthy soil, the worms reside in a bright red box plastered with faded writing. This was the first step to creating a brand new compost system at RHS. 

The idea was born in the hallway behind AP Environmental Science teacher CJ Addington ́s room. There, a group of RHS seniors took recycling to a new level by creating a home for over 100 worms. Addington encouraged the project, which was intended to act as motivation to increase recycling on campus.

“They really just needed a place to do it, and I have a really nice room in my hallway, so they set it up there,” Addington said.

The students’ vision for their final result was clear: they wanted to prevent wasting compostable food scraps. So they went the environmentally friendly route. As animal decomposers, worms are meant to break down food waste in a way that benefits their environment.

One of the compost box creators, senior Cameron Patteron, advocates for this new system because he believes it gives students an opportunity to interact with their environment in a positive way. 

“Rather than just throwing away their trash, they [students] have a place where they can compost things where they wouldn’t normally,” Patterson said.

The group hopes to reduce waste that could otherwise go directly back into the Earth. 

“[Instead of] having those food scraps go in the garbage, or to the landfill, they can go in a compost box and get eaten by the worms, and then turn into garden soil,” Addington said. “We can use that garden soil to plant things or grow things and get more use out of it.”

Patterson believes that this new system for waste reduction will  help introduce students to more environmentally friendly alternatives than making waste 

“I think it has the chance to do a lot of good for this school,” Patterson said.