nyc compost project composting calendar

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

fall 2008 compost givebacks | workshops & composting events

FALL 2008 COMPOST GIVEBACKS

Every fall and spring the DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling distributes compost to NYC residents and community groups from its compost sites. The high-quality compost is made from leaves that DSNY collects from City residents each fall.

See detailed information about this fall’s compost givebacks, which will be held at these locations on these dates:

Soundview Composting Site—Saturday & Sunday, October 4 & 5

Fresh Kills Composting Site—Saturday & Sunday, October 18 & 19

There are still no compost givebacks at the Spring Creek Composting Site.

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/green_up/
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.

Wednesday, September 17, 12 noon to 1 pm
compost made easy
The New York Botanical Garden, Home Gardening Center

This workshop covers all of the essentials of outdoor composting. We’ll take you through the whole process, from choosing your bin to harvesting and using your finished product. No prior experience is necessary.

Wednesday, September 24, 12 noon to 2 pm
compost project information table: farmers market
At The New York Botanical Garden, inside the Mosholu Gate on Kazimiroff Boulevard

Stop by for free tip sheets, pamphlets, and workshop schedules designed to help gardeners increase their horticultural, composting, and recycling knowledge.

Wednesday, September 24, 3:30 to 5:30 pm
compost project information table: teacher’s open house
The New York Botanical Garden, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Discovery Center Plaza

Stop by for free information on the Golden Apple and Golden Shovel Awards contest and learn how schools in New York City can win cash prizes for their recycling, waste prevention, and clean-up programs. Contest brochures and tip sheets, pamphlets, and workshop schedules available.

Saturday, September 27, 9 am to 5 pm
compost bin building basics
Fordham-Bedford Lot Busters Community Garden, 2592-97 Bainbridge at 193rd Street

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 this garden. RSVP required.

Saturday & Sunday, October 4 & 5, 8 am to 2 pm
compost giveback

Bring a shovel and sturdy containers to the Soundview Compost Site and take away free compost. For details, see Fall 2008 Compost Givebacks.

Wednesday, November 5, 10 am to 2 pm
compost project information table: farmers market
Learning Tree Farmers Market, 1885 University Avenue, behind Calvary Methodist Church

Stop by for free tip sheets, pamphlets, and workshop schedules designed to help gardeners increase their horticultural expertise.

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, September 13, 9 am to 1 pm
weeksville farmers market: compost demo & info table
Bergen St. (between Buffalo Ave. and Rochester Ave.), in Crown Heights

Master Composters will facilitate a 30- 45-minute presentation and will host a composting and recycling information table.

Thursday, September 18, 12 noon to 5:30 pm
green brooklyn event at brooklyn borough hall: vermicomposting session & compost info table
Joralemon St. (between Court St. and Adams St.), in Brooklyn Heights

Brooklyn Compost Project staff will present a session on vermicomposting (or composting with worms) and will be available to answer questions on composting and recycling; they also will provide information about the GreenBridge Program of Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Tuesday, September 23, 6 to 8 pm
teacher’s workshop: composting in the classroom
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn how to set up a worm bin, feed worms with food scraps, maintain the system, and incorporate worm composting into the curriculum. Receive a copy of Worms Eat Our Garbage; you may also purchase an optional $10 voucher for a pound of worms and a plastic worm bin. This class can be held at your Brooklyn school for a group of ten or more teachers; contact us for more information.

Tuesday, October 7, 6 to 8 pm
mulch, leaves and cover crops: how to improve your soil
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn the basics of soil structure, organic fertilizers, soil amendment secrets, the underworld critters that abound, and the importance of organic matter and composting for healthy soil.

Tuesday, October 21, 6 to 8 pm
composting in the city
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn how to compost in small city yards, how to use finished compost, and how to avoid problems. Receive a free copy of Easy Compost: The Secret to Great Soil and Spectacular Plants.

Sunday, October 26, 12 noon to 4 pm
ghouls and gourds event: creepy crawly compost critters
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Brooklyn Compost Project staff and Master Composters will be showing the creepy (and cool!) critters you can find in the worm bin.

Wednesday, November 5, 6 to 8 pm
composting alternatives and gathering materials
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

This advanced course covers trench composting, “lasagna” composting, and where to find resources in your neighborhood to balance your compost pile.

Tuesday, November 18, 6 to 8 pm
worm bin basics: indoor composting workshop
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn how to compost with worms, get a free copy of Worms Eat My Garbage, and an optional $10 voucher for a pounds of worms and a worm bin to start composting!

Tuesday, December 2, 6 to 8 pm
compost tea: brew your own
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn how to brew compost tea, which contains microorganisms and nutrients that help plants grow greener and healthier, and live longer.

Tuesday, December 16, 6 to 8 pm
composting in the city
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Learn how to compost in small city yards, how to use finished compost, and how to avoid problems. Receive a free copy of Easy Compost: The Secret to Great Soil and Spectacular Plants.

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.

Tuesday, September 9, 3:30 to 4:30 pm
children’s intro to indoor worm composting
Whole Foods on the Bowery, 95 East Houston Street, upstairs culinary center

We’re taking waste reduction to the next generation! With red wiggler worms, you can compost indoors and watch nature recycle its nutrients, while reducing the amount of waste that you throw away. This workshop covers the process of decomposition, and how worms can help. Each participant will have the chance to make and bring home their own mini worm-bin. For ages 5 and over. Registration is required.

Thursday, September 18, 6 to 8 pm
indoor worm composting workshop
Whole Foods on the Bowery, 95 East Houston Street, upstairs culinary center

Got a smelly trash can? Hate taking out the garbage every week? Looking to lighten your environmental footprint? Then learn how to set up and maintain a worm bin in your apartment! Red wiggler worms rapidly eat kitchen scraps, transforming all of this “waste” into useful fertilizer, aka “NYC Black Gold,” the best food for hungry plants and trees! Participants will be able to purchase a “worm-condo” and starter worms for the subsidized price of $10. Registration is required.

Sunday, October 5, 1 to 3 pm
indoor composting workshop
Riverside Park Volunteer House, inside park at 107th Street, enter at 108th Street and Riverside Drive

Learn how to set up and maintain a worm bin in your apartment. Purchase a “worm condo” for $10. Registration required.

Saturday, October 18, 1 to 3 pm
backyard composting basics
Clinton Community Garden, West 48th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues

Begin outdoor composting now! Explore the science of decomposition, set-up options, compost application, and troubleshooting. Outdoor compost bins available for the subsidized price of $20. Registration required.

Saturday, November 15, 2 to 3 pm
children’s worm workshop
Ottendorfer Branch Public Library, 135 2nd Avenue

Kids learn how to compost and make their own mini worm bin for home. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Registration required.

Saturday, November 22, 11 am to 1 pm
composting in the classroom: teachers workshop
Bloomingdale Branch Public Library, 150 West 100th Street

Teachers learn how to set up and maintain a healthy worm bin, and to incorporate composting into the curriculum. “Worm condos” and starter worms will be available for the subsidized price of $10. Registration required.

Sunday, December 7, 11 am to 1 pm
much ado about mulching
Tompkins Square Park, Parks Building. East 9th Street between Aves A & B

Learn mulching and backyard composting techniques from Michael Lytle, head gardener at Tompkins Square Park. Outdoor compost bins will be available for purchase at the subsidized price of $20. Registration required.

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.

Wednesday, September 17, 6 to 8 pm
composting in the city & indoor worm composting
Education building at Queens Botanical Garden

Leaves, kitchen scraps, garden trimmings, and weeds can all become garden gold through composting. This class covers the essentials on how to compost outside in small city yards or indoors with a worm bin. Following the workshop, participants may purchase outdoor compost supplies and worm bins at subsidized prices. Registration is encouraged.

Saturday, September 27, 11 am to 3 pm
little neck bay festival at alley pond environmental center
228-06 Northern Boulevard, Douglaston, NY 11363

Come to the Little Neck Bay Festival and talk to the Queens Compost Project about compost! Once you’ve met our composting worms, enjoy the rest of the day’s activities for kids and adults.

Saturday, October 4, 11 am to 1 pm
natural lawn care

Learn the time- and money-saving “secrets” that practically guarantee a green lawn with fewer weeds and insect problems. Program covers all seasons of lawn care in time to restore your lawn after summer and prepare it for the winter. Registration is encouraged.

Thursday, October 16, 5 to 7:30 pm
composting in the classroom: teachers workshop

Learn how to set up a worm bin, feed worms with food scraps, maintain the system, and incorporate worm composting into the curriculum. For $10, teachers receive a bin, a voucher for a pound of worms, and three useful texts (valued at more than $50). Registration is encouraged.

Sunday, October 26, 1 to 3 pm
spooky pumpkin patch and treats

Join us as our Children’s Garden transforms into a spooky pumpkin patch for Count Dracula and other whimsical characters to entertain. Kids will paint pumpkins and create a Green-Haired Monster to take home. Halloween treats included. Fee: $8 per pumpkin.

Saturday, November 15, 11 am to 1 pm
hummus to humus: food harvesting and composting

As the harvest season comes to an end, learn about the connections between plants, food production, and composting. Taste a delicious Mediterranean staple food and learn how to responsibly dispose of your cooking leftovers by composting them. This class covers the essentials of backyard composting and indoor composting with a worm bin. Registration is encouraged.

Wednesday, December 3, 5 to 7:30 pm
composting in the classroom: teachers workshop

Saturday, December 20, 11 am to 1 pm
winter solstice composting

Join us to brainstorm ways to reduce waste this holiday season and learn how to dispose of your scraps and leftovers by composting! This class covers composting essentials. Registration is encouraged.

Staten Island Compost Project
Snug Harbor Cultural Center and 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 Snug Harbor Cultural Center and 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.

Saturday & Sunday, September 6 & 7, 11 am to 7 pm
richmond county fair
Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10306

The Staten Island Compost Project provides information on composting and hosts compost demonstrations at this annual fair which bids farewell to summer.

Saturday, September 20, 10 am to 12 noon
composting workshop for children

Children are invited to attend this free class to see and touch worms, and learn how they turn food scraps into “black gold”! Meet us by the Carl Grillo Glasshouse.

Saturday, September 20, 10 am to 12 noon
composting workshop for all ages

Learn about the decomposition of organic waste and how adding compost to your plants and gardens improves soil quality and reduces the need for fertilizing and watering. Registration required.

Saturday, September 27, 10 am to 12 noon
composting workshop for all ages

Learn about the decomposition of organic waste and how adding compost to your plants and gardens improves soil quality and reduces the need for fertilizing and watering. Registration required.

Saturday & Sunday, October 18 & 19, 8 am to 2 pm
compost giveback

Bring a shovel and sturdy containers to the Fresh Kills Compost Site and take away free compost. For details, see Fall 2008 Compost Givebacks.

Saturday, November 1, 10 am to 12 noon
make compostable decorations for thanksgiving!

Learn how to make beautiful Thanksgiving decorations for your dining room table and home using all-natural materials that can be composted once your guests have gone. Registration required.

Saturday, December 6, 10 am to 12 noon
herbal holiday crafts

Learn how to use herbs and other all-natural materials to make wonderful creations for the winter holidays. These compostable crafts will delight your guests and then make a great gift for your houseplants or garden. Registration required.

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