Our Mission
The Associated Students Department of Public Worms turns food waste into compost to be used to grow fresh produce for fellow students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, thus creating a closed-loop food system on campus. We practice and promote sustainable agriculture techniques while educating the community about the importance of composting and gardening.
Meet the Worm Wranglers!
Worm wranglers do the hardest work at DPW. They manage our aerobic compost systems, vermicompost systems, tend to Family Student Housing compost program, and are the worker bees for the Edible Campus Program Student Farm .
Bio TBD
Bio TBD
Hello! My name is Ben and I am a third-year Environmental Studies major with an emphasis in food systems and plant ecology. This is my first year at DPW, and I enjoy connecting with the plants (and worms!) here. I am hoping to foster a more sustainable and just food system at UCSB. In my free time, I enjoy going on nature walks and watching football (go 49ers!)
Hi!! My name is Clara and I am a third year Geography major and Earth Science minor. This is my second year working for DPW and I am so grateful to be part of the worm community and an active member in the closed food loop system! I am interested in all things agroecology and I’m always looking to learn more about sustainable farming practices. In my free time, I enjoy going for trail runs, rock climbing, and cooking farm-fresh food with friends.
Hi!! I’m Edena and I’m a third-year Environmental Studies major! This is my first year working with DPW but I love that we get to work outside, pet worms, and see the results of working to grow fresh produce. I care deeply about food sovereignty and ensuring people have access to and education about sustainable, nutritious foods. In my free time I like to do yoga, take pictures of beautiful moments, and cook delicious food!
Bio TBD
Bio TBD
Hi! My name is Kai and I’m a fourth-year Environmental Studies major. I’m deeply interested in conservation, specifically with the beautiful landscapes we see along the west coast. This is my first year with DPW and I hope to support our efforts of increasing food security and reducing food waste for a more sustainable future! Outside of class and farming, I like to spend my time running and watching baseball.
Hello! I’m a fourth year Environmental Studies major, minoring in Geography. I am passionate about all things related to justice and sustainability in food systems. Outside of DPW I love ceramics, jewelry making, running, cooking/baking, and I manage a community garden.
Hi! My name is Viola and I’m a third year Physical Geography major. I’m passionate about sustainable food systems and hope to have a farm of my own one day! In my free time, I enjoy running, biking, cooking, and crafting. This is my first year working for DPW and I’m really excited about composting and growing delicious food on our farm!
Student Coordinators
Coordinators do the same job as the Worm Wranglers but work closer with Marla Greer, the A.S. Garden Coordinator, to assist with larger management related operations. DPW coordinators are split into three categories: the farm, the compost, and outreach!
Farm Coordinator
Hi! My name is Mavis, and I’m a third-year English and Geography double major. I am especially interested in environmental broadcast journalism and sustainable agriculture. I’m creative and like to constantly be making things like jewelry, paintings, and sculptures. Working for DPW, I’ve been learning so much about growing food, collaborating with different sustainability initiatives and knowledgeable people, and having fun with the DPW team!
Outreach Coordinator
Hey! My name is Olivia and I’m a fourth-year Environmental Studies and Geography double major. I have worked as the public outreach coordinator for DPW for the past three years and it truly has been a pleasure. I’m super interested in environmental policy/law and health, and would love to pursue a career that combines it all. In my free time I enjoy going to the beach, yoga, farming, and of course cooking the produce I grow!!
Compost Coordinator
Hello! I’m Sam and I’m a fourth-year Environmental Studies major with an emphasis in Food and Agriculture. I’m interested in community and sustainable farming practices and how they interact with each other. I’ve been with DPW for a year now and I’m super happy to be working as the new compost coordinator! In my free time I like hiking, playing games, going to concerts and farming!
A.S Garden Coordinator
Bio TBD
Our History
2004
Dept. of Public Worms is a student run, student funded AS organization. Our group was originally established as part of A.S. Recycling in 2004 in efforts to incorporate composting into UCSB’s waste management. Our first services focused on servicing businesses in Isla Vista in collaboration with IV Parks & Recreation. Worm bins were built in People’s Park and Estero Park for students to compost the food collections. A.S. Recycling Route Riders picked up the food waste with our recumbent trailer bikes, and eventually Dept. of Public Worms began collecting food waste from several dining commons. We also began distributing Worm Tea.
2010
We relocated our operations from Isla Vista to the UCSB Eucalyptus Grove on campus behind the Recreation Center Tennis Courts. This is where all our vermicomposting and hot stall composting took place! We also share the Grove with A.S. Recycling!
2012
In 2012, we began collecting food scraps from De la Guerra, Ortega, and Carrillo Dining Commons, totaling three dining hall pickups on campus . Once we successfully began collecting such large volumes of food from the dining halls, we rebuilt our vermicomposting bins with hardwood, rebar reinforcements, and advanced pest-security mechanisms to keep out small animals and protect our worms.
We also began servicing the West Campus Family Student Housing and Storke Family Student Housing residential complexes in continuation of a Ph.D. dissertation project that established garden plots for residents. We still service and make hot compost for Storke and West Campus Family Student Housing to this day!
2014
Our program has steadily been expanding with the help of student coordinators and increased funding with the addition of our very own lock-in fee in 2014. Improvements in our workspace, storage, and record keeping have greatly increased our efficiency and enabled our growing team to process more food waste. Our dream of transforming underutilized spaces on campus into productive gardens was realized in early 2015 with the donation of two Washington Navel Orange Trees from the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation. Our Worm Wranglers tend to the trees and harvest fruit for the A.S. Food Bank.
Five more Tango Mandarin trees were added to the Urban Orchard in August 2016. We also set up 2 hydroponic towers next to the grove which grow all kinds of awesome veggies including green onions, tomatoes, and peppers. We also began designing plans for an Edible Campus Student Farm! Our dream of cultivating produce for students had just begun!
2018
Our first major farm event was a groundbreaking in Fall 2018. It was followed by a big volunteer day in Spring 2019, and then our grand opening on October 8, 2019. With the help of amazing community volunteers, we were able to build our beautiful farm and begin donating large amounts of produce by early 2020.
2022
Our Edible Campus Program projects are thriving. Our farm houses over 20 fully functional beds, a greenhouse, and the beginnings of a permaculture food forest. We tend to our Urban Orchard and its 7 citrus trees as well as our 5 hydroponic towers. The Department of Public Worms hopes to re-open our garden to community volunteers soon!
2025 and on!
We continue to care for our worms and service family student housing composting. Our farm now has over 34 raised beds, a large center permaculture food forest, two hydroponic towers, and a native garden! We still tend for the citrus trees for the Urban Orchard project, but we are looking to reimagine that ECP project.
During 2025 we also had big changes. We moved from the Eucalyptus grove to a new location across from the ECP Student Farm which we now call the Prairie. We continue to manage to our hot stalls and worms as usual. New location, same operations! We are excited to see what the future holds for us as we look into future DPW and ECP projects to further our goal for food accessibility and waste management!
Contact Us
Have any questions or comments?
Phone: (805) 893-7765
Email: asdpw@as.ucsb.edu
