Having just returned from
the 14th Annual Composting
Conference in Gatineau, I feel elated and
encouraged to learn of the
many organic diversion
programs taking place
across Canada.
In addition to discussions
about fascinating municipal
aerobic and anaerobic
composting programs, this
year's conference offered
four speakers on vermicomposting.
I was honoured
to speak to my peers about
education and communication
strategies. I reported
on my experience during
the past 2 years, including
collection research projects
with County Style Donuts
and No Frills in Bradford.
In 2 months, over 2 tonnes
was diverted from landfill! I
also described the many
benefits of having worms in
the classroom.
I ended with the following
quote: "If we used all of
nature's resources except
earthworms to produce
topsoil, it would take 100-
150 years to produce one
single inch! Bring back the
earthworms, and it only
takes -1 year to produce that
inch." (From "The Worm
Book", Loren Nancarrow &
Janet Hogan Taylor.)
Located in a 19th century
dairy barn nestled amongst
the manure from 2 donkeys,
'my squirm of worms
continues to grow. That's
right, my worms have
relocated to a herb farm in
Queensville. A Well
Watered Garden is a little
slice of heaven, a 3.5 acre
property with fragrant herb
gardens throughout. During
the summer, I was involved
with Harmonic Happenings,
a children's culinary
camp. The campers separated
the fruit/vegetable
peels from their food
preparation all week. The
last day of camp, they
arrived at A Well Watered
Garden to learn about herbgrowing.
The tour ended in
the barn with an interactive
display and explanation of
composing and vermicomposting.
Over a 7-week
period, we diverted and
composted over 400 lbs.!
To launch Waste Reduction
Week (October 18-24),
Harmonic Happenings in
Newmarket is hosting their
Grand Opening on Sunday,
October 17th, from 1-4
p.m. at
17780 Leslie St.,
Unit 4. Enjoy a performance
by Vivace!, a women's
vocal group. Refreshments
and hors d' oeuvres will be
served. Tickets are $10 in
advance, or $12 at the door.
All proceeds go to Crime
Stoppers of York Region's
Youth Division; call Annette
Kelly at 905-830-6715.
For additional information about Waste Reduction Week, visit www.wrwcanada.com. This year's theme is "Too Good to Waste." We can
all do our part to extend the life of landfill sites.
So much energy is spent
planning and preparing
events. Garbage collection
and recycling are often
overlooked. At public
events, I take note of how
garbage is handled - that is,
the location of garbage
cans, blue boxes, and waste
management in general. If
food and/or beverages are
being served, I check to see
what dishes and utensils are
used. I am more often than
not confronted with a
plethora of plastic. Source
separation is rarely an
activity at large gatherings.
Recycling bins are usually
absent.
I believe waste
management at events
needs to be part of the
planning process, so that it
is not an afterthought. The
cost and ease of use of
plastic dishes may seem
appealing at first, however
the long-term cost to the
environment must be
considered. Alternatives are
available.
Cathy Nesbitt is the
founder of Cathy's Crawly
Composters. For more
information on vermicomposting
call
905-775-9495, or visit
www.cathyscomposters.com
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