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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 2009 Master
Mountain Composter program will consist of only three
classes! Starting June 18th through July 9th (skipping
the week of July 2nd), MMC classes will run Thursdays
from 5pm to 8pm. The first hour will be dedicated to hands-on
work in the compost display garden at the High Country
Conservation office at th 518 E. Main Street cabin in
Frisco.
Master Mountain Composter
students are required to attend all three classes for
the full class time and complete 15 volunteer hours (please
see Grow a Greener Community for more
details).
The 2009 schedule is as
follows:
June 18 - MMC
Class #1: Compost Fundamentals, Compost Pile Building,
Methods, and Compost Use
June 25 -MMC
Class #2: Composting at High Altitude, in Cold Weather,
& in Bear Country; Understanding the Landfill Environment;
and the Science of Composting.
July 9 - MCC
Class #3: How to be a Worm Farmer - Basic & Advanced
Vermicomposting (Composting with Worms) and Final Exam
for MMC Certification (Drop-ins may join us for the
worm composting portion of this class for only $10)
Subjects that
will be covered during the six week program include:
The
fundamentals of composting- Setting up a compost pile
- Building healthy soil
- Compost tea
- High altitude and cold weather
considerations
- Alternative composting methods
- Reasons for composting
- Decomposition in a landfill environment
- 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 15 hours of community outreach
by the end of December 2009. 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 $75 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,
June 12th, 2009 with a check for the program fees. Please
state somewhere on the application form if you are applying
for the Trained Mountain Composter option. Also,
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.
