Re: [at-l] Worm-hole technology !

["cosmo catalano, jr." <Cosmo.A.Catalano@williams.edu>]

John O forwarded:

"Worms were installed in a privy at Upper Goose Pond in Massachusetts.
In August they were added to the privy at the Stewart Hollow shelter and
camping area off Skiff Mountain Road in Kent. So far the results are
good. Plans are in the works to adapt a two-holer platform at Silver
Hill campsite near the Sharon-Cornwall town line.
 ”It seems to be working,“ LaBella said.
 There are few drawbacks. The worms will die after the first frost and
will have to be replaced next spring, Trails Committee Chairman Ann
Sherwood said."

######

Au contraire, the worms have returned to Goose Pond on their own. We 
thought they were killed by the frost too.  We have also found the 
naturally occurring fauna do a good job of mouldering the waste w/o 
the worms in locations more lightly used than Goose Pond. The privy 
at The Hemlocks is a composting one w/o worms, and is doing well.

It's important that the user give some thought before using the privy:

1. Liquids should be deposited in the woods a distance from the 
shelter site.  It seems these critters do not work well if it's too 
soupy.  The GP privys actually have one seat for liquids, which are 
piped away to a sort of dry well, and the other seat for making solid 
deposits.

2. After making a deposit, a handfull of duff (collected by the 
caretaker and stored in a bucket in the privy) should be scattered 
down he hole.

3. Occaisonal stirring of the duff and waste is needed to promote the 
bacterial and nemotodal action.

4.  Trash must NOT be thrown into the privy (but you knew that already).

A potential regulatory problem may soon arise, as no backcountry 
privy of either type meets Mass Health Department regulations. 
That's why all the state parks are required to install sealed Clivus 
(TM) composters now.  The ones on Mt Greylock even have wire rope 
tie-downs to keep them in place during storms.  That would be a wild 
ride indeed!

Cosmo
"There are three great times for thinking --
 On the john, in the shower, and while hiking.
 And the best of these is while hiking."
        --Colin Fletcher.
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