Composting and its Benefits to the Environment

Hi! My name is Megan Plumley and this page will teach you a little bit about my Gold Award project. Throughout the City of Geneseo I have noticed that many people are disposing of food and yard waste incorrectly. This has caused many problems for the city property and our local environment. This page is for the community and Scout troop leaders to use as a guide to educate locals about the importance of composting. Down below is a video explaining how the compost bin works for troops who are interested in contributing to my project. 

What is Composting and why is it important for the environment?

 Composting is  the process of recycling organic matter such as yard and food waste into fertalizer that can enrich the soil within local communities. Composting helps reduce the amount of bad chemicals within our environment and encourages the growth of local plants. Not only does this benefit local plant life, but it also benefits the local wildlife as well. At Cole Cabin located in Geneseo, Il you will be able to find Bird, Bat, and Owl houses. The purpose of these houses is to introduce and grow the population of local wildlife within our community. If you find one of these houses feel free to look at them from a safe distance for both yours and the animals safety. It is important that as the City of Geneseo grows, the community finds new and resourceful ways to help better the environment. Please feel free to use this information to start your own compost bin and animal habitat at your own home. 

What are compost safe items?

You are probably wondering what goes into compost. Can you just put anything in it? Here is a list of compost friendly and non-friendly items to put in your compost. Carbon-Rich Materials, also known as browns, provide the compost with food for the microorganisms (organisms not seen by the human eye that break down compost) to consume and digest. Nitrogen-rich materials, also known as greens,  help heat up the compost pile in order to make ideal conditions for the compost to break down. Your compost bin will also require water and oxygen. It is important that if you notice the compost starting to get dry you spray it with water so that way it is damp, but not soaked. 

How can your troop contribute?

At the Girl Scout Service Unit 886 shed by Farm and Fleet there are two five gallon buckets labeled Compost Bucket. There is also one at Cole Cabin. Please feel  free to use these at any troop meeting or trip. The large compost bin will be located at 329 North Vail St. Geneseo Il in the back alley by the garage. All I ask is that after you drop off your compost in the bin that you wash out the bucket and place it back where you found it. Girl Scouts will also get an opportunity to work with compost during day camp. For more information regarding the process of dropping off your compost please watch the video above. 

Are there any badges or activities for my troop to do?

Here are some scouting activities for Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. If you are interested in finding more visit the  Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois websites. 

For Girl Scouts: 

https://www.girlscouts.org/en/activities-for-girls/daisies/daisy-composting-badge-activity.html 

https://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/content/dam/girlscoutsgcnwi-redesign/documents/green-for-good/Food-Waste-Activity_Girl-Scouts-Green-for-Good-Week%20-May%202020.pdf 

For Boy Scouts:

https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/gardening/#:~:text=(a)%20Build%20a%20compost%20bin,flowering%2C%20or%20for%2090%20days. 

https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/sustainability/ 

Interested in starting your own compost bin? 

Building and maintaining a compost bin can be very simple given lots of time and care. Here are some resources with compost bin designs and important information that I found to be helpful through this process. If you plan to make your own compost make sure to have parent supervision while building and working with compost (especially if your child is in 3rd grade or below). Good luck and don’t forget to have fun!

https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6957 

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home 

 Questions or Concerns? 

Please feel free to contact me or my family at (309)-944-2219  for any questions or concerns you may have regarding the compost bin process. Thank you and I hope you found this information helpful!