Published December 12, 2007
[ From Lansing State Journal ]

Woodcreek kids find way to keep worm 'pets' warm
With help of MSU, new solar design heats compost bin

Derek Wallbank
Lansing State Journal

With a count of "One, two, three!" the ribbon was cut on a cutting-edge engineering marvel dreamed up by Lansing fifth-graders.

The invention is a solar-heated worm bin, which students at Woodcreek Magnet Academy will use to compost uneaten food from lunch.

The students' triumph started as a tragedy. Woodcreek Elementary students have used an unheated composting bin for several years, but some worms died each year in the cold. One wintry day in 2005, though, students found all their worms frozen to death.

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