In November, PRC will conduct two online environmental education webinars to teach residents the importance and process of backyard composting.
“Creating well-balanced compost is very easy in the fall,” according to PRC Education Program Coordinator Nancy Martin. “As trees shed leaves there’s an abundance of both decaying and fresh leaves, which each add value to compost.”
During a one-hour online session, individuals learn the benefits of backyard composting, including the overall process, methods for setting up a compost pile, proper maintenance and ways to use finished compost.
Registration is currently open for Backyard Composting webinars taking place online:
- Wednesday, November 3, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, November 18, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
To register for a PRC webinar, visit prc.org/programs/webinars or e-mail nancym@prc.org.
“It’s easy to create compost at home, and one of the many benefits of composting is improving garden soil,” says Martin. “It’s vital that organic matter be returned to the soil and not tied up in a plastic bag and sent to the landfill, and composting makes this possible.”
The course fee of $70 includes instruction plus a FreeGarden EARTH compost bin, which features an 82-gallon capacity ideal for both urban and suburban settings.
Individuals living in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and surrounding areas can learn online and then make arrangements to pick up their 82-gallon compost bins at PRC’s eastern office in Delaware County and western office in Allegheny County.
In addition to leaves, pinecones and straw can be placed in the compost bin along with vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and other plant-based material, explains Martin.
“Anything that used to be alive and no longer is will break down and decompose,” Martin says. “Only certain things should go in a backyard bin because we don’t want to attract rodents or have odor problems, which is why we encourage people to take our class before establishing a compost system at home.”