500 WORMS and their own farm might seem like a bizarre gift, but it was a perfect one for the Cooinda community garden, donated by Kids Bizz as part of educating them about sustainability.

Cooinda gardener Graham Chapman was grateful to receive the gift of the tiny, industrious gardeners, which were handed over by Kids Bizz staff member Deb McCarthy with the help of the children.

Mr Chapman said it was a great addition to the garden, helping it not only contribute to improving community nutrition, but also in keeping the project sustainable.

"It's to demonstrate recycling,” he said. "Because it's using scraps, it will be replacing organic fertiliser which we have to purchase.”

He said there were already plans for increasing on the donated intake.

"We will expand on that.”

Ms McCarthy said the children had been able to donate the farm from the proceeds created from their own farm, from which they sell "worm tea” to gardeners to help fund other projects.

She said it was a wonderful way for the children to learn about sustainability, both environmentally and economically.

"We do a lot of recycling here,” Ms McCarthy said.

It was important for children to see things like their own mini-economy work at the centre, as most parents no longer carried cash which made teaching children about money a bigger challenge.

Their worm farm, and the sale of 'worm tea' from it, provided an in-house chance for children to understand the sustainability of economics.

She said by giving Cooinda their own worm farm, the children were able to see their own efforts pay off by giving back to the community.