I am thrilled to report the return of WMS’s Composting Program after a hiatus due to factors beyond our control — specifically, a growing population of bears in the area and a global pandemic. A wonderful example of a student-led initiative directly benefiting our school, local community and beyond, our composting program clearly illustrates WMS’s mission for students to recognize their ability to contribute to the world in positive ways — both big and small.
“Composting is wonderful!” said eighth grade student Kahlan. “It gives us a chance to help the world. Small things make great differences. Composting is simple, it just takes consistency. I am exhilarated by the choice of bringing composting back.”
Every day right after lunch, a dedicated team of Middle School students traverses the hallways with galvanized pails in hand to collect the organic remnants from the staff room, the PA coffee cart and each classroom. Once they have made their full rounds, they head downstairs to the compost tumblers, where they deposit the day’s take along with a cup of compost-nourishing wood pellets. A few tumbles later, the students rinse out their buckets and head out for recess. This all adds up to a desirable and efficient equation: minimal investment of time = extensive and long-lasting impact!
“I have really enjoyed taking part in the composting process. It’s so much fun to connect with the whole school for such a great cause,” said Lauren Zimmerman, an eighth grader. “It’s a really easy procedure, and I’ve loved doing it the past couple of weeks.”
The current process is a significant upgrade from our original process which was introduced in the spring of 2012. We began using the classic “three-bin” system, which is designed to compost waste in the shortest period of time. We used wooden bins built by Middle School students during designated community service time, and relied on the model used at the Mansfield Middle School in Mansfield, CT. (Since its inception in 2000, the MMS composting facility has been used as an example by the State of Connecticut DEEP to educate the public on larger scale composting strategies for schools and other public facilities.)
The open bins served us well for seven years, but as the bear population in Northwest Connecticut began to expand, so did the potential of our compost becoming the target of maraudings by these opportunistic mammals. In the spring of 2019, we paused our composting efforts in order to reconsider more bear-friendly composting options.
As luck had it, a visit to my gardening class by Denise Arturi, director of Steep Rock’s Judea Garden, helped us with this conundrum. Judea, too, had been experiencing bear problems related to their compost pile, and they had recently acquired a Jora Composting Tumbler that was working quite well for them. My sustainability team and I researched the devices and decided to invest some of the funds received from the 2019 “Promise for the Planet” campaign to purchase two in the winter of 2020. Just as we became “poised and ready” for their maiden run, Covid descended upon us, and composting was put on the back burner.
Almost two years later, the Green Team and I are excited to finally have reestablished this vital project. It has been my pleasure to work with such a devoted and united team, and I know I speak for us all when I say that we look forward to our continued mission of modeling a bonafide standard of sustainability!
The Green Team is very proud of the work they do and would be delighted to show you around. We also hope that we will inspire you to compost at your home or business. If you are interested in a student-led tour of our composting routine and facility, please contact nhulton@washingtonmontessori.org.
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