Worms have never received much credit for the wonderful work they do. While gardeners have always had deep respect for these creatures, and their ability to keep soil healthy, waste managers now also gaze fondly upon worms.

Green waste, in all of its varied forms -- leaves, lawn clippings, weeds, vegetable food scraps -- is one of the state's most troublesome waste streams. Indeed, some counties will focus almost exclusively on green wastes over the next few years because they have done nearly all they can do to reduce other waste streams. If California's cities and counties are to reach the goal of diverting 50 percent of California's solid waste away from landfills by the turn of the century, then worms will likely need to play a supporting role.

The practice of making compost can be a very labor intensive one. Typically, commercial composting centers are subsidized, often by privately-owned power plant operators who burn wood waste as fuel. Many of these "biomass" electricity generating facilities are closing, threatening much of California's commercial composting industry. These closures are dismantling an infrastructure that will have to be replaced by more on-site, and sometimes unusual, composting activities.

Composting through the use of worms in your own backyard, or school, is a very simple way to turn garbage into a useful product that can help brighten up the flower beds and improve the food output of the vegetable garden.

Worm composting, known as vermicomposting, can easily be integrated into your daily routine. (It is a waste prevention technique because the waste never leaves the premises.) First, you need a worm bin. Most are constructed out of redwood or plywood, but most any scrap wood will do. All you have to do is create a square box or use a store-bought plastic storage box. The bins can be as large as you want them. Some schools have built giant worm homes, as large as 32 square feet! Backyard bins, generally speaking, will be much smaller.

After each meal, separate nonprotein items, such as meat scraps or dairy remnants, from the rest of what's left on your plate. (If you leave this stuff in the mix, odors can get quite unpleasant.) Worms, after all, love fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed egg shells, bread and rice. Add this mixture to a shredded paper bag or newspaper bedding in the bin. You've started a worm farm.

About once a week, bury the food scraps in the bedding to discourage mold and fruit flies. Another good idea is to bury the worm food in a different corner of the box at each feeding. If the food is not gone the next time you take a peek into the bin, try feeding the worms a little less for a while.

After a few months the original bedding will have disappeared. Instead, you will notice a rich, dark worm compost. That means it's time to put the worms on a diet. Start feeding them only on one side of the bin for a few weeks, so you can scoop up the super soil on the other. Once the super soil is removed, lay down some more bedding, and start the whole process over again.

Many schools now feature worm bins. At Sierra Elementary school in El Dorado County, for example, all food scraps are fed to red worms purchased with aluminum can recycling funds.

Whether at school or at home, relying on worms to develop compost is one of the easiest ways to help keep California clean. Feed them and then just sit back and let the squiggly critters do what they do best!