nyc compost project composting calendar

Please keep checking back on this page as we add workshops and programs.

WORKSHOPS & COMPOSTING EVENTS

The NYC Compost Project, funded by the NYC Department of Sanitation, offers a variety of workshops on indoor and outdoor composting and also participates in various environmental events throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Check the links below for more information.

bronx | brooklyn | manhattan | queens | staten island

Bronx Compost Project
The New York Botanical Garden
Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Rd.
Bronx, NY 10458-5126
compost helpline: (718) 817-8543
web: www.nybg.org
directions to the garden: www.nybg.org/visit_the_garden/directions.php
email: bronxgreenup@nybg.org

home gardening center compost demonstration • Visit the New York Botanical Garden’s Compost Demonstration in the newly opened Home Gardening Center. Learn how to compost in a 3-part compost bin that was constructed by the Bronx Green-Up staff and Master Composters. You will also see examples of other composting bins suitable for backyards, as well as community gardens and school gardens. A Master Composter usually visits weekly and may be available to answer your questions. Please consult www.nybg.org for a schedule of Home Gardening demonstrations.

compost bins • Every garden needs a compost bin! The NYC Compost Project offers subsidized compost bins at the biannual Compost Giveback Events at the Soundview Composting Facility in the Bronx.

compost workshops • If you belong to a community or school garden that is registered with Bronx Green-Up and would like to host a class at your site, please call Bronx Green-Up at (718) 817-8543, or email bronxgreenup@nybg.org.

note: Except where indicated, the following workshops are provided at no charge, or for a nominal fee, thanks to the funding provided by the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

For a complete schedule of events and activities at The New York Botanical Garden, please visit www.nybg.org. Grounds admission is free to everyone all day on Wednesdays and from 10 am to 12 pm on Saturdays.

Tuesdays through Sundays, April 29 to June 1, 1 to 5:30 pm
wild, wiggly worms!
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden at the New York Botanical Garden

Stop by to learn about these wiggly wonders and how they work in the garden.

Wednesday, May 14, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
worm bins made easy
The New York Botanical Garden, Watson Education Building, Room 102

This hands-on workshop on the essentials of indoor composting with worms is ideal for those who want to compost food scraps but do not have access to an outdoor space. Participants will receive a copy of the book Worms Eat My Garbage, and for $10 may purchase a voucher for a pound of red worms and a plastic worm bin ($45 value) to be picked up at the Union Square GreenMarket. RSVP required by May 1.

Saturday, May 17, 10 am to 4 pm
compost bin building basics
Risse Street Garden, East Mosholu Parkway at Risse Street and Jerome Avenue

Join us for a 45-minute workshop covering tips and techniques for building your own customized compost bin out of new or recycled materials. Stay after the workshop to help construct a three-bin wood and wire system for the garden.

Saturday, June 14, 11 am to 3 pm
compost project information table
Bronx Day Celebration, Clay Family Picnic Pavilions at The New York Botanical Garden

Visit the Compost Project table for free tip sheets, pamphlets, and workshop schedules designed to help gardeners increase their horticultural, composting, and recycling knowledge. Come take part in an afternoon of family fun. The day will include musical entertainment, face painting for children, raffle prizes, and more. Included in Garden admission. Grounds admission is free from 10 am to 12 noon on Saturdays.

Brooklyn Compost Project
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
compost helpline: (718) 623-7290
workshop registration: (718) 623-7220
website & directions to the Garden: www.bbg.org
email: compost@bbg.org

compost workshops in brooklyn neighborhoods • The Brooklyn Compost Project will come to your Brooklyn community to present compost classes. Please contact us if you would like us to offer a workshop for your community garden, neighborhood association, or civic group in Brooklyn.

teacher workshop: worm composting in the classroom • Looking for a way to introduce your class to ecology and recycling? Try composting with worms! Kids love it. This class may be held at any Brooklyn school for a group of ten or more NYC teachers. A $10 materials fee is optional. Call us for more information.

home composting exhibit • Come see how to compost at BBG’s home composting exhibit near the Cranford Rose Garden. The display includes a variety of compost bins, different stages of decomposition, and new signs in both English and Spanish to explain the process.

note: Except where indicated, the following workshops are provided at no charge, or for a nominal fee, thanks to the funding provided by the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

Saturday, May 10, 12 to 4 pm
jackie robinson day at ebbets field house
Bedford Avenue & Montgomery Street

Staff and Master Composters from the Brooklyn Compost Project will be available to answer questions related to composting and recycling in NYC.

Manhattan Compost Project
Lower East Side Ecology Center
P.O. Box 20488
New York, NY 10009
Rotline: (212) 477-3155
web: www.lesecologycenter.org
email: info@lesecologycenter.org

ongoing • Working with residents, schools, community gardens and civic organizations, the Manhattan Compost Project offers workshops on vermicomposting (indoor composting with worms) and rat-proof, Manhattan-style backyard composting. We offer low-cost worm bins as well as outdoor compost bins to people attending workshops. Please see below for a schedule of workshops, or contact us if you want to arrange for a workshop for your school or organization.

worm corps • Worm Corps is a group of compost experts who volunteer to go two by two out into the world to bring Wormshops (worm workshops) to students at schools all over Manhattan. All workshops are free of charge. Interested? Contact Carey through the RotLine at (212) 477-3155 or carey@lesecologycenter.org

note: Except where indicated, the following workshops are provided at no charge, or for a nominal fee, thanks to the funding provided by the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

Saturday, May 24, 1 to 3 pm
indoor worm composting workshop
6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden

All food scraps are not waste! Many can be recycled back into a rich and natural fertilizer to help plants grow. The indoor vermicomposting workshop will cover everything you need to know to set up and maintain a worm bin in your apartment, allowing you to turn your kitchen scraps into NYC Black Gold! Participants will be able to purchase a “worm-condo” for the subsidized price of $10. Registration is required.

Saturday, June 21, 2 to 3 pm
children’s worm workshop
Inwood Hill Nature Center, Inwood Park at 218th Street and Indian Road

Join the Manhattan Compost Project and learn how to turn your old scraps into NYC Black Gold! By using red wiggler worms, you can compost indoors and help nature to recycle its nutrients, while reducing the amount of waste that you produce. Workshop will cover the process of decomposition, as well as how the worms help the process. Each participant will have the chance to make and bring home their own mini worm-bin, made from a reused plastic takeout container. Registration is required.

Saturday, June 28, 1 to 3 pm
manhattan compost demo site grand-opening and backyard composting workshop
Rodale Community Garden, 437-39 E 114 Street between 1st Avenue and Pleasant Avenue

Come to the grand opening of the Manhattan compost demonstration site at Rodale Community Garden. The site will feature a variety of composting setups, including a compost tumbler, three-bin system, garden gourmet, and metal can composters. The workshop will provide a basic intro to composting, as well as demonstrate how to use each type of compost bin. Compost application and NYC-specific composting issues will also be addressed. Compost bins will be available for purchase at the subsidized price of $20. Stick around after the workshop for a small celebration to honor the grand opening. We would like to thank the New York Restoration Project for hosting this event and demonstration site. For more information or to register, please contact the Manhattan Compost Project.

Application Form due Monday, September 15, 2008
Orientation: Thursday, Sept. 25, 6 pm to 8 pm at the Fireboat House, East River Park, south of the Manhattan Tower of the Williamsburg Bridge
Classroom Instruction: 5 Thursdays, 6 to 9 pm at the Neighborhood Preservation Center (232 E 11th Street between 2nd & 3rd Avenues):
October 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2008
Field Instruction: weekend day in October to be determined
Field Trips: 2 weekend days in November or early December
master composter certificate program—manhattan

Calling all compost enthusiasts! If you enjoy composting, but would like to learn more in order to spread the practice of composting in NYC, then consider the Master Composter Certificate Program. This program is designed to promote the practice of home and community garden composting, as well as the reduction of our city's solid waste. The course covers the science of decomposition, varieties and different scales of compost set-ups (both indoor and outdoor), compost applications, and community outreach and education strategies. The program consists of 18 hours of classroom instruction, one day of field instruction, and two field trips. To receive certification, participants must also volunteer 30 hours of outreach service in compost education and promotion in the year following completion of the course. Online application form. For more information please contact the Manhattan Compost Project.

Queens Compost Project
Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
compost helpline: (718) 539-5296
website & directions to the Garden: www.queensbotanical.org
email: compost@queensbotanical.org

compost workshops in Queens communities • If you belong to a community garden, neighborhood association, or civic group, or if you are group of ten or more (the more the better), why not invite the Compost Project to come to your Queens neighborhood to present compost classes? Please contact us at (718) 539-5296 to schedule a workshop and we can come out and offer you not only composting tips, but tips on gardening and lawn care.

teacher workshop: worm composting in the classroom • Want to have animals in the classroom? Or looking for a way to introduce your class to ecology and recycling? Try composting with worms! Kids love it. This class may be held at any Queens school for a group of five or more NYC teachers. A $10 materials fee is optional. Call us for more information.

compost bins • If you have a yard, the Compost Project offers low-cost (subsidized by the NYC Department of Sanitation) outdoor compost bins throughout the year. (Please check on availability, we do not necessarily have them in stock at all times of the year.) Don’t forget that these bins can also compost kitchen scraps. Don’t have a yard? Try an indoor bin with worms. An indoor worm bin, together with a voucher for a pound of worms, can be purchased when attending one of our worm workshops at the garden (check below for dates). Please call (718) 539-5296 for more information.

note: Except where indicated, the following workshops are provided at no charge, or for a nominal fee, thanks to the funding provided by the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

Thursday, May 15, 6 pm to 8 pm
composting in the city & indoor worm composting

Leaves, kitchen scraps, garden trimmings, and weeds can all become garden gold through composting. See how making compost doesn’t take much time, work, or space. Following the workshop, participants may purchase compost supplies at subsidized prices. Registration is encouraged.

Saturday, June 21, 11 am to 1 pm
summer solstice composting

Welcome the first day of summer with composting for the whole family! Join us for a fun workshop on how to compost at home. Learn about decomposers, recycling, and the composting process, and make a compostable and recyclable summer craft! Registration is encouraged.

Staten Island Compost Project
Staten Island Botanical Garden
1000 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
compost helpline: (718) 362-1010
website & directions to the Garden: www.sibg.org
email: ask@sibg.net

compost bins • Every garden needs a compost pile. The Compost Project at the Staten Island Botanical Garden offers subsidized compost bins at different times throughout the year (we do not necessarily have all types in stock at all times). Call (718) 362-1010 for more information.

home composting exhibit with school credit and tours • Visit the compost demonstration site and see five different compost bins/units. On display are five raised beds where summer vegetables and cut flowers are grown. Students (intermediate, high school, and college) who volunteer at the demonstration site can receive school credit. Tours and hands-on workshops are available for school groups from March through November. Call (718) 362-1007 to register.

composting education in the schools • A one-hour hands-on, “compost 101” for students grades 1-8; free for private and public schools. The Compost Project brings to the classroom vermicomposting books, handouts, visuals, hand lenses, and a LIVE worm bin to show the students the worms at work. Multiple classes can be held in one day and indoor worm bins can be made for classrooms upon request. Call to register: (718) 362-1007.

note: Except where indicated, the following workshops are provided at no charge, or for a nominal fee, thanks to the funding provided by the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

Thursday, May 1 through Saturday, June 7
staten island 2008 spring yard waste composting pilot

Starting May 1, save your yard waste for Department of Sanitation composting collection. DSNY will pick up yard waste during the weeks of May 18–24 and June 1–7. All yard waste must be set out in either paper lawn & leaf bags or unlined rigid containers for composting collection. See Staten Island 2008 Spring Yard Waste Composting Pilot for more info.

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