8/9/2019 Ambassador - Composting

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the ambassador WINTER 2008-096 WINTER 2008-09 the ambassador

eaturesCOMPOST

eaturesCOMPOST

Last school year Andy Overend, a ourth grade teacher, took

on a project to reduce ood waste at ASIJ by converting it

into compost. Securing our tumbling composting drums

and two large composting bins, Overend went to work educating

the third, ourth, and fth grade elementary school students about

the benefts o composting. Overend explains that this project is

not about efciency, its about education. His goal was not to

produce the most compost in the most efcient manner, but to

raise awareness among ASIJ students.

Last year, the three grades separated their non-animal ood

waste every day, composting a total o 1200 kilograms o waste

during the year, a project which has clearly let an impression

on the students. One fth grade student observed that the

amount o garbage in the burnable garbage can is now hal

as much [as it was beore]. An additional beneft is that each

day the waste is weighed and recorded, a step that may allow

the caeteria to adjust its menu in the uture to make ood that

is more agreeable to the students.

Over the course o approximately two to three months the

waste is gradually broken down, frst in the tumbling composting

Growing Greendrums and then by worms in the large composting bins. The result is

a soil amendment that Overend explains, is ull o microorganisms

which you cannot fnd in ertilizer. These microorganisms acilitate

plant growth and allow or a stronger and healthier plant. In act,

Overends ourth grade class conducted an experiment in which the

students grew radishes in two dierent pots, one with normal soil

and one with a 10% compost soil mix. The radishes in the compost

grew much better and were 50% bigger by weight.

Additionally, Overend used the fnished compost to create

compost tea, water ortifed with the nutrients rom the

compost. The compost is soaked in water overnight with an

aquarium oxygen pump aerating the solution to allow or the

reproduction o the aerobic microorganisms that are benefcial

to plants. The resulting solution can be used to water plants and

also to spray on the leaves o plants to prevent diseases. As an

extra environmental touch, recycled water bottles are used to

store the compost tea. Students sold bottles o the compost tea

at Winterest this year to raise awareness about the composting

program and unds to support their green initiatives.

This year there is a plan to expand the composting project at

ASIJ to include the middle school and high school. A senior not

that this project is a very important step to raising awarene

among the students and aculty about the small steps we c

make to help the environment. In the 2006-2007 academ

school year ASIJ produced a total o 77,649 kg o burnable tra

o which 50% or around 39,000 kg is estimated to come ro

the caeteria. A service club in the high school will help coordina

the three school divisions and work to enhance awareness amo

students. Additionally, the elementary school will have a ne

outdoor learning environment which will include additio

gardening areas. The school hopes to teach the elementary sch

students about organic agriculture and is considering having t

children sell the vegetables they produce along with t he comp

and compost tea to parents and aculty.

The composting project at ASIJ began with just one m

This year it will expand to include the entire school, provid

the basis or inter-division cooperation, enhanced learning, a

potentially a student-run business. Thus, the let over vegetab

o the ASIJ students are helping the American School in Jap

grow into the uture.

Wynne Callon 09

reports on ASIJs

growing compost

project