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High Country Conservation Center has been offering Backyard Composting Workshop to the Summit County community for several years.  The popular workshops are well suited to citizens interested in learning (or reviewing) the basics of composting.  However, if you are among those that are interested in a more in-depth program then the Master Mountain Composter program is for you! 

The 2008 Master Mountain Composter program will begin May 22 and run Thursday evenings from 4pm to 7pm through June 26. Don't worry if you can't make the 4pm start time - the first hour will be dedicated to hands-on work in the compost display garden at the Frisco Community Center, and while helpful, is not necessary for the training. Applications (with the $35 program fee) are due Friday, May 16 and can be downloaded here. The application fee will be refunded to anyone not accepted to the program.  Drop-ins are welcome with a fee of $10 per class.

Tenative schedule is as follows (but is subject to change):

May 22 - Master Mountain Composter Overview and Composting 101

May 29 - Hands on Composting Pile Building and Composting Methods

June 5 - Composting at High Altitude, in Cold Weather, and with Bears as our Neighbors

June 12 - Worm Composting (aka, Vermicomposting)

June 19 - The Science of Composting and Large Scale Composting

June 26 - Harvest and Utilization; Final Class and Celebration

Subjects that will be covered during the six week program include: 

  • the fundamentals of composting
  • setting up a compost pile
  • building healthy soil
  • compost science
  • high altitude and cold weather considerations
  • alternative composting methods
  • harvesting and utilizing compost
  • composting with bears as our neighbors

Grow a Greener Community!

Not only does the Master Mountain Composter program help reduce waste at our local landfill, Master Mountain Composters promote composting at the community level. MMC “alumni” have conducted workshops in schools, inspired neighbors to compost, and have established composting systems at the workplace. They do a variety of community outreach activities.

In order to receive certification as a Master Mountain Composter, each participant will be required to perform 20 hours of community outreach by the end of December 2008.  Some potential activities that will fulfill this requirement include:  manning informational booths at local farmers markets and festivals, writing a composting column in local newspapers or newsletters, giving presentations, maintaining the Compost Display Garden, creating new tools for community outreach, and assisting other community members with setting up and maintaining a compost bin. 

There is the option to become a Trained Mountain Composter as well, which allows individuals to attend the training sessions without taking part in the community service component.  The fee for this option is $60 and priority is given to those choosing to participate in the community outreach portion of the program. 

The same application must be filled out for both options and are due on Friday, May 16, 2008 with a check for the program fees.  If you are unable to download the application using the link below, please contact us at 970-668-5703 or jen@highcountryconservation.org to obtain a copy. 

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Solar celebration
Friday, June 20, 4pm to 6pm at the Ecoasis in Breckenridge. Celebrate the Solstice, toast the Sun, check out groovy solar gadgets and mingle with Summit County's renewable energy experts at the Solar Celebration!

walk, bus or Bike to Work Day
Wednesday, June 25th. Get out of your car and walk, take the Stage, or bike to work. You'll feel better and earn great eco-karma points too! Stop by one of three locations for free breakfast. Breckenridge at the Riverwalk Center from 7:30am to 9am; Frisco at the Frisco Community Center (110 3rd Ave) from 7am to 9am; Silverthorne at the Recreation Center from 6:30-9:30am.

 

MOUNTAIN PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOB WINSETT, WWW.BOBWINSETT.COM. WEB SITE DESIGN BY DANGER MARKETING, WWW.DANGERMARKETING.COM.