Going Green 2012

GOING GREENThe Idyllwild Town Crier's Guide to Responsible Living 2012

Earth Fair preview, page 2

This year's Greenwood Award

recepient, page 3

Idyllwild Arts' renewed

committment to sustainability,

pages 4, 6 & 7

Landscaping with native plants,

page 8

DIY compost bins, pages 10 & 11

Planting a water-wise garden, page 9

water-wise

- Idyllwild Town Crier, Going Green, 2012

By J.P. CrumrineEditor

Idyllwild’s 23rd Annual Earth Fair will be Saturday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at its traditional venue — Town Hall. This year the theme is “Sustain this!” The logo depicts a flower with five petals. Each petal suggesting how or where we might conserve our resources. The ocean and water is on one, a car and electrical appliance is another petal. Trees and gardens are represented on a third, the weather is the fourth and the fifth petal, at the top, depicts our homes and community. The Committee promises the usual attractive mix of food, music and dancing. Interactive booths will feature recycled art, solar energy, earth-friendly products, composting, garland making, wildlife education, henna painting and more. There will be some new exhibi-tors this year. The Earth Fair Com-mittee welcomes the Secret Goldfish Baking Company with organic bread and cookies, which Molly Greenwood owns and operates. This year, the popular butterfly exhibit will be locally connected. Scott (co-owner of the Strawberry Creek Bed & Breakfast and Strawberry Creek Bunkhouse) will or-ganize the Butterfly Tent. His experience includes raising and tending to praying mantes, bees (currently at the bed and breakfast), monarch butterflies, and other insects. In addition, local groups and agencies will return to share their thoughts on conservation and sustainability. The Idyllwild and Pine Cove water districts will have booths and the Santa Ana Watershed Association will be present. Other agencies exhibiting include Malki Museum, Mount

San Jacinto State Park, Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council and Riverside County Waste Management. The Idyl lwi ld G a r d e n C l u b , Idyl lwild Nature C e n t e r, P i n y o n Mountain Botanicals and the California Native Plant Society will discuss plants and gardening. Food w i l l be

available, including popular Sage Mountain Farm, which will offer organic burritos.. and Dolma’s Hi-malayan Finger Food will also bring refreshments. Preceding Earth Fair at 7 p.m. Friday, May 18, will be a Dessert Reception at Town Hall. Attend-ees can taste dessert delicacies prepared by local restaurants and listen to live local music. A silent auction with a wide variety of items to bid on from area galleries and businesses is also offered, as is the annual presentation of the Greenwood Award. Tickets for the Friday event are $15 or two for $25 at the door and all proceeds go toward producing Earth Fair. The highlight of the Friday event is presentation of the Greenwood Award to this year’s recipient Dr. Kate Kramer, the Forest Service botanist on the San Jacinto Ranger District. See facing page for more about Kramer. The Idyllwild Earth Fair was created in 1990 by a group of volunteers who wanted to contribute to the life of our community by presenting an annual event focus-ing on environmental concerns that effect us locally and globally. This grassroots event is still produced entirely by volunteers. Through inspiration, motivation and the provision of information and expertise, the Earth Fair

organizers encourage neighbors, visitors and others to become actively involved in the pursuit of such areas as solar energy, multi-species preservation, recycling, earth-friendly products, fire safety, composting, water conserva-tion and more. In the nearly quarter century since the Idyllwild Earth Fair’s inception, the individuals responsible have changed, but the goal and enthusiasm remain. “The constant is that everyone who’s involved donates their time and gives from their hearts,” said Holly Owens, Earth Fair commit-tee chair. “Idyllwild makes this event happen — from the donations at our silent auction, to the incredible talent on stage the whole day, to the people who staff the event — it’s a community effort.”

Idyllwild Earth Fair ... friendly fun for all

“The constant is that everyone who’s involved donates their time and gives from their hearts ...”

Musical performances include some of the Hill's top talent, from professional musicians to Idyllwild Arts Academy award-winning student groups. Exhibitors often feature whares made from reused items,.

Photos by J.P. Crumrine

PerformersEmcee: Doug Austin

Headliners: Idyllwild Arts All Stars, featuring Barnaby Finch & Don Reed

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A butterfly tent will be at this year's festival.

Idyllwild Town Crier, Going Green, 2012 -

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Dr. Kramer 2012 Greenwood Award recipientBy J.P. CrumrineIdyllwild Town Crier Editor

The 2012 Green-wood Award re-cipient is Dr. Kate Kramer, botanist

on the San Jacinto Ranger District. Kramer has been working in the local forest nearly 10 years and said she still finds the work exciting and new. The award will be pre-sented at the Earth Fair Dessert Reception, which starts at 7 p.m., Friday, May 18 at Town Hall. Fol-lowing the presentation, Kramer will speak about the enormous flora diver-sity on the Hill, including lemon lilies. “We are honoring Kate for her advocacy and work on behalf of native plants in our region,” said Holly Owens, of the Idyllwild Earth Fair Committee. “Not only is she gener-ous with the public and individuals in sharing her time and knowledge, but Kate has the ability to

reach across lines within the Forest Service and has worked hand-in-hand with fire personnel to try and find the best solu-tions for our environment and people’s safety.” Kramer said she was very surprised when Ow-ens called with the news. “This is prestigious com-pany,” she said. This is the 21st Greenwood Award and Kramer is the sec-ond U.S. Forest Service employee to be honored. In 2004, the Committee gave the award to Daniel McCarthy, noted local archeologist and cultural anthropologist. Although Kramer grew up in southern California and graduated from the University of California at Riverside, she earned

her graduated degrees in Texas. Her doctorate in biological systems engineer-ing is from Texas A & M University. After school she has worked with various public agencies assessing and researching primarily botanical issues. At UC Riverside, Kate trapped kangaroo rats for a study in coastal sage mam-mal communities, hiked the southern Sierras as a fi eld assistant working on white bark pine regeneration and surveyed populations of Yucca whipplei for reproduction differences as her senior project. A trip to Africa after college taught her that if people are taken care of, then they will take care of the envi-ronment. This important lesson has guided her efforts in research projects, regulatory biology issues and most recently, land management work.

See Kramer, page 9

Earth Fair Dessert ReceptionFriday, May 18, 7 p.m. at Town Hall

Featuring the Greenwood Award presentation, silent auction, live music and desserts from local

restaurants.Tickets at the door: $15 or 2 for $25

“The constant is that everyone who’s involved donates their time and gives from their hearts ...”

Dr. Kate Kramer is the 2012 Greenwood Award recipient.

Photo by J.P. Crumrine

Dr. Kate Kramer teaches about the growth of lemon lilies during the fi rst Lemon Lily Festival in 2010.

Town Crier fi le photo

“We are honoring Kate on behalf of native plants in our region ...”


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By Isaac DwyerIdyllwild Town Crier InternIdyllwild Arts Student

A dormant seed has re-sprouted this school year on the Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) campus

and is growing into something that holds vast potential — a push to-ward environmental sustainability. Sydney Cosselman, acting director of the Krone Museum, revealed some of the roots of the rediscovered environmen-talism, utilizing the archives at her disposal. “In 1952,” she wrote, “the School of Conservation was established [by the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA)] to fi ll a growing need in public schools.” Before becoming a private high school, ISOMATA was an connected to Cal State Long Beach and the University of Southern California. “At the request of the California Department of Natural Resources and the State Department of Education, a two-unit course in Conservation of Natural Resources was made available to teachers on the ISOMATA campus.” Cosselman said Ernie Maxwell, a local conservation edu-cator and activist, and biologist Clinton Schonberger were appointed by the State Department of Natural Resources to head the program. The school’s conservation efforts main-tained a strong run throughout the 1950s and ’60s, but dissipated in the early ’70s. Brian Cohen came on staff following 25-year President Bill Lowman’s departure in 2011 and with him came a reinvigoration of the early conservation roots. This time, Cohen hopes to take the academy all the way. “Our goal is to eventually have the whole campus off the grid,” said Shannon Jacobs, student life and leadership coordinator. “Obviously, that’ll be a while from now, but that’s the goal.” Being off the grid, Cohen said, means “all of our electric power [would be sourced] from a solar array on campus. We’re in an ideal location for solar and the idea isn’t all that wacky, as utilities are required to pro-vide a certain amount of power from renewable sources and are looking to partner with schools.” Jacobs explained the steps that the academy has already implemented toward this goal: “We have the water conservation plan. We’re developing baselines for energy consumption for electricity and propane. We have partner-ships forming with the community,” she said. The school recently partnered with The EarthWitness Foundation, a local organization that provides outreach

Idyllwild Arts returns to conservation rootseducation to schools about ecology and Native Ameri-can culture, for an artists’ reception benefiting the schools sustainability pro-gram. “We’re moving our cafeteria towards locally based and organic foods,” Jacobs continued. The school also plans to construct all new build-ings according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, created by the United States Green Build-ings Council (USGBC). The USGBC evaluates the energy usage of buildings. If a building uses 25 to 30 percent less than the national average, then it is given the council’s seal of approval. Attitudes on cam-pus have also noticeably changed over the past year, with environmental inter-ests rising among faculty and students. Cohen often gets point-ed to as the beginning of the change, but he says not all the credit should be given to him. When he arrived on campus at the beginning of the year, he said “everyone was ready, and all I had to do was press a button.” Cohen said when he fi rst noticed the lack of avid environmentalism at the school he was “a little bit surprised that it wasn’t part of peoples’ systems of behavior. There was a lack of mindfulness about basic stuff, such as

turning the lights off.” When asked if he had received any pushback against his efforts, Cohen said, “the only reservations that people expressed to me were that I couldn’t go too quickly, or they’d burn out.”

One of the most obvious changes visible on campus is what is colloquially known as “going tray-less” (read more on page 7). Other changes to campus life include the installment of motion-activated light switches in most of the build-

ings, most notably the Parks Exhibition Center (where there is considerable cost for the gallery lighting) and the replacement of the 70-watt tree-mounted lights with more effi cient 29-watt alternatives, saving approxi-mately 50,000 pounds of carbon from entering the atmosphere. The academy’s en-vironmental impact, just from light usage (during the 9-month school year) was calculated by the environ-mental studies department led by Martha Ellen Wing-field to be approximately 422,005 pounds of carbon (assuming that light usage is continual throughout the year, including breaks). This number may seem daunting in the face of the 0-waste goal, but Jacobs sees a way through. “I want to integrate conservation into every single piece of life on this campus. We all use the cafeteria, restrooms; we all turn on and off the light

and we need to work on conserving our natural resources,” she said. “The goal is to integrate arts and academics and conservation actively and seamlessly. I don’t want this to be annoying. I want people to fall into step for their own benefi t. We need to do this and the best way to do it is in a smart way.” “You need to love the environment to care for it,” said Wingfi eld, who once spent time as an environmental con-sultant on a Superfund hazardous waste clean-up site. “You need to get out into it. The more time you spend outside, the more steps you’ll take to care for it.” “I’m very much taken with the beauty of our location. It’s still somewhat unfamiliar to me and captivating,” said Cohen who taught a class on observation and taxonomy, where students learned to observe their environment more carefully and refl ect and respond to it creatively, at his former post at Putney School. “It seems that we owe respect and attention to our surroundings and should live in parallel to its needs and balance,” he said.

“Our goal is to eventually have the whole campus off the grid ...”

Public school students came to Idyllwild Arts, then ISOMATA, in the 1950s to participate in a conservation program.

Photo courtesy Idyllwild Arts Krone Museum


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By Ruth RuizIdyllwild Town Crier InternIdyllwild Arts Student

Idyllwild Arts Academy i s currently un-d e r g o i n g a

transformation. Earlier this school year, it was brought to the student’s attention that the school’s energy consumption needed to go down. The school president, Brian Cohen, is enthusiastic about getting the school to “go green.” Cohen illustrated two major books of natural history and ecology, “Read-ing the Forested Landscape” and “The Granite Landscape.” Both of these books help people become more aware of the many features within the landscape and their significance. In addition to this, he taught “Ob-servation and Taxonomy,” which took as its premise, “a student’s development of responsive, reflective and descriptive writing and drawing skills in directly experiencing, describing, and interpret-ing the observed natural world.” The Putney School, where Cohen worked for 26 years before his move to Idyllwild, was “on a working dairy farm and strongly emphasized ecologi-cal principles.” He was even involved in “planning the first net-zero energy school building in the U. S., which opened about four years ago.” Although Idyllwild Arts is only begin-ning its energy and water conservation, it has managed to save a considerable amount already. The school started the movement at the campus dining hall by encouraging diners to go tray-less (read more on page 7). As well as going tray-less, the school has now changed its light bulbs to CFLs, which conserve energy. Another step was the installation of new recycling bins in every dorm. They are used to collect a variety of items, includ-ing ink cartridges, digital cameras and even old laptops.

Earlier this school year, four students traveled to Denver and participated in a conference called the Green House School. The students who attended were Devin DeBowski, Alexandra Gandionco, Katherine Kearns and Michelle McMillan. Before leaving, all four expressed excitement and a little nervousness about to what they were getting themselves into. DeBowski was very excited about the Denver trip because at his former school, he was very

into the conservation program and knew a lot about what it would take to conserve energy and lower the school’s carbon footprint. He said his interest was reawakened when he was offered the chance to go on the Denver trip. When the students returned from their trip, they came back with new knowledge on the subject and new experiences the share, like having to write a rap about environmentalism. At an all school event, they present-ed a video showing their experience at the International Green House School in Denver. While presenting their video to the school, the four students stood proudly wearing their brand new shirts made from 100 percent recycled plastic. The video documented their travels, the actual event and all the different types of booths they got to visit. Standing proudly in front of the entire school, they showed how important going green was, while

using a fun and cheerful approach. The academy’s sustainability efforts have gotten off to a great start and more plans are already in the works. A garden, where flowers and vegetables can be grown, is being planned for outside of one of the dorms. “I noticed that we didn’t think much about waste and energy usage, and that we weren’t looking around at the environment and taking it in,” Cohen said. “We live in a very special place.”

Students participate in the ISOMATA conservation program in this 1950s photo.Photo courtesy Idyllwild Arts Krone Museum

“I noticed that we don't think much about waste and energy usage, and that we weren't looking around at the environment and taking it in ...”– Brian Cohen

President, Idyllwild Arts Academy

Progress already being made at IA


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By Isaac Dwyer and Ruth RuizIdyllwild Town Crier InternsIdyllwild Arts Students

The Nelson Dining hall, where the serving system was designed around the use of cafeteria trays, is now the site of many of its attendees refusing to use trays. Diners instead opt to carry their food to their table. The reason for this is not a rebellion, but was encour-aged. It is because the use of trays, and having to wash them, accounts for a large amount of the cafeteria’s water usage (90 gallons a day), as well as concerns about food waste: the thought being that if you had to carry all of it by hand (instead of by tray), diners would be more conscientious about only taking food that they were going to eat. When the students and faculty use a tray, they tend to fi ll the tray with food. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t necessarily eat all of this food and some would end up in the trash bin.

Of course, there are those who still prefer the converse of using a tray. Interestingly enough, this is visibly more common with faculty members, not students. When asked, faculty and student responses for their choice ranged from “What are you talking about?” and “I’m lazy” to “How do you expect me to carry all of this?” and “I’m old, and I don’t have the time or energy to be running back and forth from the salad bar fi ve times.” Other reasons for not using a tray include, “I go up for seconds and my tray helps me carry all my plates back without spilling anything” or “I feel like I’m really messy and my tray helps contain my mess.” One even said, “I don’t want to carry all of this in my hands,” and another said “I’m not the one washing it, so it’s not my problem.” Going tray-less was suggested by some of the staff and it proved to be effective. Within the fi rst week there was a visible change in the amount of water that was used.

Going tray-less

Some perfer to still use a tray, while others embrace the tray-less mantra. Photo by Ruth Ruiz


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Planting local California native plants is a form of ecological restoration that we can all accomplish, whether in a home landscape, community garden, or in patio plant containers. “And, here is the good

news; it’s not all that hard to do,” said to Ben White, who along with partner Jackie Lasater, last year co-founded Wild California Native Plants & Seeds Nursery in Banning. Because they are adapted to prevailing conditions, local California native plants demand little from the environment other than what is provided by nature. You don’t have to transport them for long distances because they come from here. You don’t have to water them much after they are established or add fertilizer because they have been naturally adapted to the arid climate and local soil conditions for eons. And native plants fi t with the local ecology, providing food and shelter to native pollinators like butterfl ies, native bees and birds. “Even a small area devoted to local California natives can make a huge difference” Lasater said. “Over half of the residential water used here gets used to water the landscape and that just isn’t sustainable over the long term.” Patches of native plant gardens can also serve as islands of refuge for native wildlife and can provide stopovers for species to migrate between surrounding areas like the na-tional forests and wildlands. The possibilities for such informal native plant wildlife refuges are increased as those responsible for maintaining larger government facilities, offi ce campuses and corporate headquarters consider the palette of local native plants as part of reducing water usage and chemical runoff from fertilizer. “Transitioning to California native plants in landscaping is a powerful way to be positively and proactively environmentalist,” says White. “It’s important to try to stop destructive prac-tices, but we can also make a strong statement for helping to heal the environment in every plant we place in our garden and in the land-scaping installed around our schools, parks and offi ces.” White and Lasater formed Wild California Native Plants & Seeds this past year as part of the Alliance for Youth Employment Skills com-munity service and jobs skills development program. Since then, they and their team of 14 trainees have supplied over 5,000 plants to local retail nurseries, garden and ecology groups, botanical gardens and restoration projects.

The benefits of planting California natives

Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla) Photo by Noah Elhardt

Bush Poppy or Tree Poppy (Dendromecon rigida)Courtesy National Park Service

Slender Sunfl ower (Helianthus gracinentus)

Courtesy National Park Service

Arroyo Lupine (Lupinus succulentus)

Photo by The Marmot Scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius)Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale)

Photo by Eric Hunt

California wild rose (Rosa californica)Photo by Curtis Clark

Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri)Photo by Florian Siebeck

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Photo courtesy

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California fuchsia or hummingbird fl ower (Zauschneria californica)

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Chaparral Current (Ribes malvaceum)

Photo by Stan Shebs


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By Vicki JakubacPine Cove Water District

With summer fast approaching, the stores are brimming with all sorts of plants from fl owers to vines to vegetables, which makes a stroll through the garden center the

gardener’s equivalent of being a kid in a candy shop. While it is tempting to bring as many of these plants home to our gardens as possible, we have to fi rst think about how much water it will take for them to grow and thrive. With gardening being the number one hobby in the United States, it is no surprise that each summer water usage rises exponentially due to outdoor irrigation. And with more water use, comes higher water bills. So what is an avid gardener living in a drought prone area to do? There are many tricks and techniques that can be in-corporated in gardens everywhere that will reduce outdoor water usage. In the past, we have discussed water saving methods such as installing rain water harvesting systems, creating swales and berms throughout your property, us-ing drip irrigation and soaker hoses instead of sprinklers, adding compost to your soil for better water retention and mulching to keep moisture in. However, what hasn’t been discussed yet is container gardening. That’s right, container gardening. Gardening in con-

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KramerContinued from page 3

One of the projects on which Kramer has had sig-nifi cant infl uence is the recent effort to re-establish the native lemon lily population. “Everybody loves lemon lilies,” she said. “I see people aware and very appreciative to taking ownership of the lemon lily. Up here people now know its history and value. “As a plant person it is wonderful if others got excited for the plants. I’m so glad the town backed the project,” she said. Kramer is also responsible for a rare plant tabulation of the local forest. “This is a really good baseline for anyone coming in,” she noted. But Kramer has not been restricted to botanical fi eld-work and in the laboratory writing reports. In the absence of a San Jacinto District information offi cer, Kramer took on those duties for the district’s fi re staff. Whenever there is fi re on the local district, such as the Lawler Fire in January, Kramer is the source of abundant and helpful information. “I enjoy being a part of the team,” she said. “I love working on fi res as the public information offi cer. Learn-ing those communication skills is really fun.” Curiosity is a necessity for any scientist, but Kramer uses teamwork, communication, leadership and creativity, which demonstrate why the Idyllwild Earth Fair Com-mittee is honoring her this year. J.P. Crumrine can be reached at [email protected].

tainers can be wonderfully creative, fl exible and can create a magical ambiance in your garden. It can save you time and water, which in turn, saves you money. Gardening in containers is far less physically challenging than traditional gar-dening and that makes gardening accessible to just about everyone. One downside of container gardening has always been that containers need more frequent watering as they dry out quickly. But that is no longer a problem because there are now self-water-ing containers available making it possible for anyone to have a water saving garden as large or as small as they would like, anywhere they would like. Self-watering containers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, save water and re-duce your time spent on watering. They can be used for vegetables, fl owers or even in window boxes. If you are an avid DIYer, there are lots of directions on the Internet on how you make your own self-watering containers out of simple things like plastic storage containers, laundry baskets and PVC pipe. What makes self-watering containers unique is that they have special reservoirs that hold water. The plants draw moisture from the reservoir as they need it and this means that your plants are never over- or under-watered and you are freed from the daily chore of watering your containers. Generally, you fi ll them up once or twice a week — depending on the weather and the type of plants you have planted — and you are good to go. The plants do the rest. As a result, you save time, water and money.

If you prefer a method that is even more low-tech than the self-watering containers, you can try using the buried clay pot method of irrigation, which just happens to be one the most effi cient irrigation systems known. Clay pots, also known as ollas, are unglazed clay containers that are buried in the garden and fi lled with water. The water seeps out through the clay at a rate that is infl uenced by the plant’s water use. You just fi ll the olla and go. They are excellent for water conservation and can be used in many situations and are especially good in the veggie garden. And, just like the self-watering containers, they save time, water and money. So the next time you get the urge to start planting a garden, remember that with a little planning and creativity, it is possible to have a beautiful garden and save water.

Watering the garden


HEMET FIREPLACE & BBQ

Prices good through 5/26/12

HEMET FIREPLACE & BBQ 1960 E. Florida Ave., Hemet

(951) 658-2778

By Marshall SmithIdyllwild Town Crier Staff Reporter

Why compost? For one thing, organic waste accounts for 24

percent of material taken to dumps and collected by trash companies. It is almost a quarter of the mountain of trash that we, as the most voracious consumers on the planet, produce annually. Composting materials are routinely thrown away when, in fact, they can be productive and useful. What is it? Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Compost is created by combining organic wastes (yard trimmings, leaves, food wastes) in proper ratios into piles, rows or containers. Bulking agents, wood chips for example, are then added to accelerate the breakdown of the organic materials. Compost improves soil structure, porosity and bulk density, which creates a better environment for a plant’s root structure. Using compost to enrich a soil prior to plant-ing a garden is a necessary precondition with many types of soil. The moisture-holding capacity of soil is improved with compost, reducing water loss and nutrient leaching. Beneficial microorganisms are supplied to the soil, which assist nutrient uptake and suppress certain soil-born diseases. Compost adds a variety of micronutrients to the soil and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, which recent research has shown to damage soil if used over extensive periods of time. And finally, compost acts to release nitrogen into the soil slowly and steadily so plants receive a constant flow of nutrients. In addition to benefiting plants and gardens, compost has been shown to facilitate reforestation, wetland restora-tion and habitat revitalization by amending contaminated, compacted and marginal soils. Compost can remove solids, oil, grease and heavy metals from storm water runoff. It can help capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals in contaminated air and provides cost savings

of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water and air pollution remediation technologies, where appli-cable. (Statistics courtesy of the federal Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].) So, the question is why throw away materials that have use? Why buy new ma-terials that can cost as much as $15 a cubic yard when you could use your own compost to prepare soil this year for spring planting next year? According to the EPA, here is the “In” list of good composting materials: animal manure, but not pet wastes; cardboard rolls; clean paper; coffee grounds and filters; cotton rags; dryer and vac-uum cleaner lint; eggshells; fireplace ashes; fruits and vegetables; grass clippings; hair and fur; hay and straw; houseplants; leaves; nut shells; sawdust; shredded newspa-per; tea bags; wood chips; wool rags; and yard trim-mings. The “Out” list, or things not to compose, includes coal or charcoal ash; black walnut tree leaves or twigs; dairy products (such as but-ter, egg yolks, milk, sour cream and yogurt); diseased or insect-ridden plants; fats, grease, lard and oils; meat/fish bones and scraps; pet wastes, including soiled cat litter; and yard trimmings with chemi-cal pesticides. As a general rule of thumb when composting, use equal amounts of green and brown material. Green materials are nitrogen-rich and moist and include grass clippings, weeds, coffee grounds and kitchen scraps. Brown materials are carbon-rich items such as dried leaves, straw and wood chips. Don’t add twigs larger around than your finger; they take too long to deteriorate. Keep compost moist, but not wet. Your compost pile or container should have enough mass for microbes’ activity to raise the temperature. Rule of thumb is that a pile be 3-foot-by-3-foot-by-3-foot, but not greater than 5 feet in any direction, to allow air into the pile. The more often you turn the pile, the faster it will become fully composted. Turning means reversing the top and bottom materials on a regular basis. Make sure the compost pile is at least two feet from any building. And, always mix compost with soil before

using for gardening. Finished compost can be applied to lawns and gardens to help condition the soil and replenish nutrients. Compost should not be used as potting

soil for houseplants because of the presence of weed and grass seeds. M a r s h a l l S m i t h c a n b e r e a c h e d a t [email protected].

What is the importance of composting?

A three-level worm compost bin is easy to make using plastic storage containers and a drill. Photos by Rachel Welch


12 (relatively) easy compost bin designs Details for these do-it-yourself compost bins are provided by the California Department of Resources, Recycling & Recovery (CalRecycle). They range in complexity and price and many can be made from reused or recycled materials. Full details for the compost bins below can be found online at www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/Organics/44295054.pdf. Below fi nd a preview of the full designs, highlights and the level of complexity for each.

easy compost bin designsPortable Wood & Wire Composting BinFEATURES• Portable• Easy to removed fi nished compost materials• Good for yards and gardens with plenty of room

Do-it-yourselfer skill level requiredit-yourselfer it-yourselDo-it-yourselit-yourselit-yourselDo-it-yourselit-yourselit-yoursel level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required level required

= beginner = handy = experienced

Single Compartment Wood BinFEATURES• Simple materials and tools• Sturdy• Low maintenance• For a yard with space and level ground

2-Person Wooden Worm Bin FEATURES• Compact and can be placed indoors or outdoors• Produces high-nutrient fertilizer

Homemade Food Waste ComposterFEATURES• Simple design• Keeps away pests

e Compostere Composter

Worm Composting BinFEATURES• Produces large amounts of high- nutrient fertilizer• Fast production• Good for large gardens and projects

• Good for large • Good for large • Good for large • Good for large • Good for large

fi nished compost materials• Good for yards and gardens with plenty of room

Single Compartment Wood Bin

Worm

Wood & Wire 3-Compartment BinFEATURES• Allows for continuous composting• Many materials required• For larger gardens/projects

Urban All-Wood Bin FEATURES• Needs considerable carpentry skills• Good for mixed compost — fruit, vegetables & yard trimmings• 2 harvesting doors, wire mesh lining & top doubles as sifter

Pallet Worm BinFEATURES• Effi cient• Pallet design recycles old materials• Good for medium-sized gardens

Compost ScreenFEATURES• Handy for ANY home compost project• Simple design

Wire Mesh and Lath Snow Fence Compost Bins

FEATURES• Portable• Easy to make• Placement on earth required

LEARN HOW ...Riverside County Waste Management Department presents Wiggle E. Worm Backyard Composting Workshop. It's free to the public and teaches the "How Tos" of backyard composting. WHERE: Idyllwild Nature CenterWHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 16, 2012Low cost bins will be available for purchase by Riverside County residents only.


(951) 659–3307 | P.O. Box 3227 | Idyllwild, CA 92549 | SLB 586585

Roby Gray Construction Co.General Contractor

Fine Home Building • Remodels Decks • Additions • Doors • WindowsEst. 1990

A LEED-certifi ed home is designed and constructed in accordance with the rigorous guide-lines of the LEED for Homes green building certifi cation program. LEED for Homes is a consensus-developed, third-party-verifi ed, voluntary rating system which promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes.

Energy Effi cient WindowsSolar Panel Roofi ngIn-Floor HeatingQuality Construction

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Going Green 2012

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Transcript of Going Green 2012