Meadowside Nature Center to Distribute Free Backyard Compost Bins on April 1

Spring is in the air, and Montgomery Parks officials are celebrating by giving away backyard compost bins on Friday, April 1, from 4 – 7 p.m. at Meadowside Nature Center (while supplies last).

The public can use the compost bins to combine yard trimmings such as dry leaves, wood, grass and plant clippings, with kitchen scraps to create nutrient rich soil, while providing numerous benefits to the environment such as:

• Reducing the need for commercial fertilizers
• Slowing rain water runoff
• Preventing soil erosion
• Providing natural soil fertilizer
• Reducing landfill waste and
• Suppressing plant disease.

“As a Green Center, Meadowside Nature Center is increasing its sustainability efforts by starting a composting program,” said Carolina Giraldo, Director of Meadowside Nature Center. “Not only are we now composting our own yard trimmings, and animal bedding that we produce here at the Nature Center, but we also want to teach our visitors about composting and encourage them to start composting at their homes.”

Meadowside Nature Center staff are designing a Compost Demonstration Exhibit for visitors to observe various composting systems and learn how to build them. The exhibit will be open to the public this June.

This is the first year Meadowside Nature Center is serving as a compost bin distribution site. The compost bins are made of 50% recycled plastic and are designed to retain heat and moisture. They have ventilation openings for aeration and are 36 inches high with a diameter that can be adjusted to three feet.

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