A Derbyshire tourist attraction is appealing for 'regular' visitors to use its special environmentally friendly composting toilet and feed the worms. Crich Tramway Village, home of the National Tramway Museum, near Matlock, installed the environmentally friendly worm-composting toilet last year as part of the Countryside Agency funded redevelopment of its woodland area. Glynn Wilton, worm toilet project director, explains "We get over 100,000 visitors a year and many of them will ride the historic trams to the start of the Woodland Walk and sculpture trail. "The composting toilet seemed like an ideal and innovative solution to providing toilet facilities in the woodland area.
 | | 'Worm' toilet at Crich Tramway Village |
"Unfortunately the worms rely on regular 'deposits' to survive and do their composting work. It seems our visitors aren't regular enough!" The dung-worms are an efficient method of dealing with the human waste and the result is a fertile compost, suitable for gardens. It is hoped that, once the worms start getting enough food, they will stabilise as a viable colony. Staff at Crich Tramway Village are looking at a number of measures to try to encourage visitors to use the worm toilet including 'please feed our worms' signs at the other toilets around the Tramway Village and special worm-friendly dishes in the restaurant such as rhubarb pie, and prunes and custard! But Glynn says there's no need to be squeamish about using the worm-loo: "You won't find the worms suddenly appearing in the bowl. They're kept in a separate area well out of the way, so don't get bogged down worrying!" The worm toilet at Crich Tramway Village is open for business daily from 10.00am until 6.00pm | 
