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Composting in Schools

This is a great downloadable resource for schools - using the principles of A.D.A.M. made up by teachers in New South Wales

http://www.manly.nsw.gov.au/downloaddocument.aspx?DocumentID=363 and we have a good adult information sheet on composting on this website.

Further information can be resourced from Environment Southland and the Southland District Council- there a good brochures and bookmarks etc. available.

Our Top 10 Tips for an effective Compost in schools

  1. Composts are best for larger quantities like hedge clippings, seaweed, animal manures etc to build soil for your vege gardens.
  2. Worm farms are great for fruit and vege waste, coffee grounds and tea bags each classroom should have one and Staff should lead the way and have their own staffroom worm farm!
  3. Bokashi kits are great for meat and dairy scraps and bread crusts (Don’t put these in your compost or your worm farm it attracts dogs and rats)
  4. You big compost needs to be on the site of a previous compost or you need to bring half a bucket of compost from elsewhere to inoculate your pile with all the right micro-organisms and insects. (otherwise it will be too slow)
  5. As it is a living system you will need to keep chemical sprays away- both around the heap and in the layers you put in it.
  6. You need to make it at least a metre square in order to work effectively- a pile that size works just as well as one in a container-
  7. Your pile needs to have a light cover- a sack or a piece of old carpet to stop the weather affecting it too much
  8. The black plastic compost bins (like upside down buckets) are probably the tidiest way to compost if this is important- you do need to sit that container on 4 bricks to ensure air gets right through it
  9. Have a working bee where parents come along with their children with a bag of something compostable and build a heap together.
  10. Don’t forget to follow the principals of Aeration, Diversity, Aliveness and Moisture when building and keeping your compost alive.

Soil and Health Association of NZ has a very good catch phrase:
HEALTHY SOIL HEALTHY PLANTS HEALTHY PEOPLE

Robyn Guyton , South Coast Environment Centre , October 2008

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