May 4 – 10 is International Compost Awareness Week, and PRC is celebrating by kicking off a monthly backyard composting webinar you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Along with the webinar, you have the option of purchasing a backyard compost bin. Keep in mind the compost bin is pick-up only and must be picked up from either our Pittsburgh or Media office. To get you excited about compost, I’m going to mix a little why, a little how, and some fun composting facts to create a heap of . . . greatness!
WHY? You can help make sure your local taxes are spent on more efficient programs and services instead of taking up space and resources in a landfill. Did you know that according to a 2021 PADEP Waste characterization study, 38% of what we put in a landfill is organics (food waste and textiles)? Think of all the space and disposal costs we could save! Compost nourishes the soil and can also act as a carbon sink. Check out all four sections of this wonderful graphic showcasing the benefits of composting.
HOW? All you need are food scraps (greens made of nitrogen) and yard waste/paper (browns made of carbon) mixed together with a little moisture and some beneficial microbes and voila, compost! Discover all kinds of different ways to compost. The experiments and possibilities are endless. These two short guides will help you to get started with both backyard composting (aerobic-with oxygen) and bokashi composting (anaerobic-without oxygen). If you are looking for more detail and expertise, check out the Compost Foundation.
WHAT DID YOU SAY? Humans are not the only animals that actively compost. The protected Australian Brush-Turkey builds a compost pile to incubate eggs. The bird collects decaying material and then builds a mound. The compost heats up, allowing the bird to incubate many more eggs than it could sit on.
The bird actively checks the temperature of the compost with its beak and then adds or removes compost material to maintain an ideal incubation heat. Scientists have constructed a computer model using data on mound size, ambient temperature, and the nest’s rate of heat production, water content, dry density, and thermal conductivity. The model predicts that as little as 1 cm of litter added to the mound will raise the core temperature about 1.5°C. Experiments indicate that the composting nests require 1) a critical mass of fresh litter (ca. 3,000 kg), 2) sufficient water content (> 0.2 ml/g dry material), and 3) occasional mixing of the litter.
I understand your question, but no, the Australian Brush-Turkey will not be teaching our backyard composting webinar. It will be Carol Butler. Feel free to reach out to her with any questions at butler@prc.org.
BACKYARD COMPOSTING WEBINAR
DATE: Thursday, May 8, 2025 REGISTER NOW
TIME: 6:30 – 7:30 pm
COST: $70 for workshop and compost bin; $20 for workshop only
MEET PRC ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR LAURA BLOOD
On a day-to-day basis, Laura helps people of all ages learn to steward resources to prevent waste and conserve the environment. In the classroom and in the field, she teaches school students about a variety of topics ranging from waste reduction and recycling to environmental health and watershed protection. In-person and online, she teaches adults how to protect vital resources by taking action in their lives and in and around their homes. In her free time, Laura enjoys hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, zip lining, sewing/crafting, native landscaping, pistol shrimp and bladderworts.
