Creating Connections

Digging into Composting

2011-03-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

As I put my garden to bed every fall, tossing the plants I’d once nurtured into the compost pile, it’s always comforting to think that autumn’s dried up corn stalks will help feed next summer’s tomato plants, and that wilted day lilies will find their way back into the flower beds as compost come spring.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling—breaking down organic matter and returning its nutrients to the soil. It’s a great way to enrich your garden beds without using chemicals, keep waste out of landfills, and reduce greenhouse gasses. And since over 25% of the waste stuffed into trash bags can be composted, it’s easy to make a big difference.

Worm composting

Here in Maine, where for many months my compost pile can only be reached by snowshoes, I use indoor worm composting (also called vermicomposting) to make good use of kitchen waste. While worm composting might sound a bit unusual, it’s a virtually effortless way to compost because the worms do all the dirty work, eating through food scraps and turning them into nutrient-rich castings. And, as you might expect, kids tend to be eager volunteers when the job involves dirt and worms.

To get started, all you need are red worms, some moist strips of newspaper for bedding, and a container with a cover. While there are special bins designed especially for worm composting (we use a multi-story worm “condo”), a plastic container with air holes drilled in the lid will also do the trick. Just fill the bin with the newspaper, toss in a few broken egg shells and add the worms. After about a week, when the worms are used to their new home, you can begin feeding them vegetable peelings, apple cores, coffee grounds and other kitchen scraps.

Then the real fun begins. Worms eat like teenagers and multiply like rabbits. It can be fascinating spotting baby worms, watching the population grow and seeing the bedding and food transformed into compost.

After a few months you can “harvest” the finished compost. While there are many ways to do this, the easiest is to push the bin’s contents to one side and add fresh bedding and food to the other side. The worms will migrate toward their new digs, leaving the compost behind.

Outdoor composting

If the idea of worms inside the house isn’t your cup of tea, outdoor composting is a great alternative. All you need is a compost container, which you can buy at a garden store or build yourself. In the spirit of recycling, we (“we” being my husband) built ours out of old wooden pallets and chicken wire.

Just about anything organic can be tossed into the compost pile—from leaves and twigs to coffee grounds and eggshells. For a “hot” compost pile, which works quickly by heating up and “cooking” the ingredients, the trick is to achieve a balance of carbon, nitrogen, water and oxygen. While that might sound a bit scientific, you just need to include a mix of dry, brown ingredients (like dead leaves, straw and woodchips) and wet, green material (like grass clippings and kitchen scraps), aerate the pile by regularly turning it with a shovel or pitchfork, and keep it moist with an occasional spray of water. Nature will take care of the rest.

The great news is that composting is wonderfully forgiving. Even if your pile is a bit (or in my case a lot) neglected, it will all break down eventually with the help of mirco-organisms, earthworms and insects. This is called “cold” composting and seems to be my specialty.

For more information about composting and vermicomposting, check out Composting 101, a helpful online guide.

- Michelle G.

Happy New Year

2011-01-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Have you made some New Year's resolutions? Decided to do some things differently, increase your healthy habits, get more organized, exercise more? Here's a simple way you can improve your health, be environmentally friendly AND save money...make your own household cleaners. Give it a try and see how easy, inexpensive and effective it is.

When I was pregnant with my first child and became dizzy and got a serious headache from fumes while cleaning the bathtub, I began to question what I was using. What were all these chemicals and how were they made? What effects do they have on people? On the air quality & environment? And what could they potentially be doing to my unborn baby? I began thorough (and on-going) research so that I could make educated choices on what I was using. This also led to learning about the products I used on my body (lotions, makeup) and the food I was ingesting and that which my baby would some day be eating, but that's another post...

As a result of all my research, I decided to make my own cleaners using simple, natural, everyday ingredients. Occasionally I do use a store-bought cleaner/disinfectant but I choose from the several quality, natural cleaners that are readily available these days.

Are you ready to give it a try? Here are some basic ingredients that can be used to clean most household areas:
Baking Soda: deodorizer; mild abrasive
Castile soap: removes dirt
Vinegar: great deodorizer, dissolves soap film & mineral deposits, repels grease and grime and can help prevent mold and mildew (note: some vinegars are petroleum-based. Be sure to buy a "natural' vinegar. Heinz is one choice)
Essential oils: use to scent your natural cleaning products; it is believed that some oils, such as tea tree, has antibacterial and fungicide properties.

And here's a recipe to get you started:
For a tub and tile cleaner (my favorite for the bathroom), mix 1 2/3 cups baking soda with 1/2 cup of liquid soap (I use my favorite Dr. Bronners) in a bowl. Dilute with 1/2 cup water. Add 2 tbsp vinegar. You can also add some of your favorite essential oils scent. Stir until lumps are gone and pour in to a squirt bottle. Shake well before using.

If you like this, check out more in Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan or hop over to EarthEasy.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes...

Congrats!

2011-01-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Morgan and Lyndsey for being chosen to have their Maine Recycles Week posters featured in a "Maine Recycles" calendar!
Out of the over 1,700 entries from across the state, only 13 were chosen for the calendar. How exciting that 2 of those 13 came from right here at Willimas-Cone! You must be so proud and excited! We sure are!

Final MRW Poster Entries

2010-12-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't get to view them during the pasta dinner, here are photos of the final Maine Recycles Week poster contest submissions. Aren't they great?!

Market Bag Winner

2010-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Jenn Dwinal! You are the winner of the market bag by Meredith Wnek at Studio Bene!
We hope you enjoy your bag and get lots of use from it.

Thanks for all your comments.

Maine Recycles Week

2010-11-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

What a busy past couple of weeks it has been at school! Everyone is excited about the basket raffle and looking forward to the pasta dinner. Teachers are preparing for Parent-Child-Teacher conferences. The art room got a fresh coat of paint (low VOC of course!). The children have been reading and talking about taking care of our environment and working on their submissions for the Maine Recycles Week poster contest.

Here are some photos and comments from the children for you to enjoy...

"My family missed the recycling truck one week so instead of throwing it away we had EXTRA the next week!"

"It's (this poster contest) a good way to get kids thinking about recycling and taking care of the environment"

"I wanted to include things I have been inspired by in my life, like books. I know it's important to share information, like in books, so more and more people will learn about taking care of the environment"

"I included seals because I know they are killed by pollution in the oceans."

"I like it (being a part of the poster contest). It's exciting and important to spread the word."

"Recycling is important because we keep cutting down trees for paper and trees give us oxygen."

"My mom recycles Capri Sun pouches and turns them into bracelets and wallets and gives them as gifts."

During library group, kids were heard saying things like:

"It's recycle season...I think."

"We lost our septic because we used too much water in the shower."

"We have worms in our basement for composting."

"Mr. C. was checking my lunch box today to see if I used reusable and recyclable things to pack it in!"

"I'm trying to convince my mom to unplug the microwave but she likes to see the clock."

Look for all the poster submissions displayed outside the art room during the pasta dinner and don't forget to bring your item (laptops, digital cameras, cell phones, ink cartridges, GPS devices) for the Global ReSource Recycling fundraiser in exchange for a free basket raffle ticket!

Market Bag Drawing

2010-11-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

Would you like a chance at winning this beautiful market bag by Meredith Wnek? Just leave a comment by November 15th telling us how you recycle and/or any other way that you care for the environment and you will be entered in this drawing.

This bag retails for $38, features a floral/geometric fabric combination and is coated in vinyl to help protect it from all your trips to the farmer's market, grocery store...you name it. What a stylish way to reduce, reuse and recycle!

The winner will be announced here on Thursday the 18th. Good Luck!

You may contact Meredith at meredithwnek@gmail.com for more information on her products and shows.

Williams-Cone Recycles

2010-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

Did you know that November 8th - 15th is Maine Recycles week? And that November 15th is America Recycles day?

Why is recycling such a big deal? Just about everyone has heard stories about waste in landfills leaching dangerous chemicals into our soil and water, causing environmental and health problems. Many modern advances, such as lining the landfills with clay or plastic, can help prevent this from happening. However, there are consequences. The systems themselves will eventually break down and some reports say that they prevent proper air flow causing the waste to decompose at a much slower rate. As the country significantly decreases the amount of landfills, more and more waste is being incinerated, leaving behind other potentially hazardous by-products. And did you know it is illegal to throw away rechargeable batteries and electronics such as televisions and cell phones because they contain toxins?

So, we can all do our part in helping the environment and the health of our loved ones by recycling. There are many ways to recycle in addition to bringing plastics, metals and paper products to the recycling center. Compost your food scraps, leaves and grass clippings and feed your gardens with it. Buy clothing from consignments shops or participate in clothes swaps. Freecycle. Donate items to charities. Use food containers for your lunch that can be washed and reused. Properly recycle your batteries, electronics and appliances. We can ALL contribute in some way to a healthier environment. Your children will thank you some day!

The Williams-Cone community is doing its part by recycling its paper waste and now also collecting and recycling cell phones, digital cameras, GPS devices, laptops and ink cartridges. You can find more information attached to your November newsletter and be sure to watch for upcoming events, activities and expanding recycling efforts.

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us ways in which you recycle.

Welcome!

2010-09-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

We are so happy that you are here! Thank you for stopping by and welcome to Williams-Cone’s first edition of “Creating Connections”, our new blog about the healthy initiatives taking place at our school. There is much and ever growing research on the links between environmental health and our own well being. Our goal, through a collective effort, is to ensure that the right connections are being made for enhanced learning and well-being. We hope you find this blog informative, engaging, and inspiring and will take the journey with us in creating a greener, healthier learning environment for our children...

The Creating Connections health initiative involves the health of the outdoor and indoor environment (being environmentally conscientious, design / organization of the physical spaces in and around our school, etc.). Some specific examples may include: maintaining a healthy landscape, using the outdoor environment as yet another tool for learning and growth, improving indoor air quality, recycling, energy efficiency and organizing classrooms for optimal learning conditions.

You can read about our first project below. From this, as well as another "wish" granted for a teacher last year, our healthy learning environment initiative emerged...

Making Our First Connection
Last school year, as part of granting teacher wishes from Friends of Williams-Cone’s “Teacher Appreciation” week, four classrooms were given a fresh coat of paint (a BIG thank you to all of the organizers and volunteers!). The painting took place in June, the week after classes ended for the school year. It was quickly and unanimously decided that a “low VOC” paint would be used. What does this mean and why is it important?

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, which are gases emitted from various products and are linked to some health issues with exposure. According to the EPA, concentrations of VOCs can be up to 10 times higher indoors versus outdoors. Children are an especially vulnerable group because they breathe in proportionately more air and their bodily organs and systems are still forming. Because children spend a great deal of time indoors at school, improving indoor air quality is crucial. Using a low VOC paint was our first of many steps in creating a healthier environment.

For more information, check out:
www.epa.gov/
www.greenguard.org

Here are a few pictures and comments from the painting days. Recent W.C. alumni, Sophie and Grace Barnard were kind enough to interview the teachers and volunteers:

Mrs. Kish was thrilled to have her room painted (after many years!) and loves that it was an environmentally friendly paint. She has never used this kind of paint before but would use it in her house. At home, Mrs. Kish contributes to a healthier environment by recycling and giving to charity.
Mr. C was unfamiliar with “low VOC” paint and thought that using it in the school is important and an excellent choice for a great start to making Williams-Cone more environmentally friendly. Mr. C acts “green” by recycling and watching his power use.
This was the first time Mrs. Warner’s room has been painted and she thought that there was no better choice for paint. She acts responsibly at home by recycling, composting and turning off any unused lights.
Mr. Ridge thought that it was wonderful getting his room painted...he does not like the color white. He is new to using a low VOC paint. Mr. Ridge recycles and composts at home.
Mrs. SanPedro’s room was also painted but she was not interviewed.

Thank you for checking in. Please let us know what you think and come back often for updates, resources and ways you and your family can get involved.