Category: Education

Reducing Post-Halloween Pumpkin Waste

October 23, 2024

Each year after Halloween, many people leave their jack-o-lanterns on the side of the road for wildlife or throw it in the garbage. Tossing away pumpkins introduces non-native species to wildlife and forested areas, and releases methane gas when left to sit in the landfill. Below are some suggestions for responsible ways to reduce post-Halloween pumpkin waste. Please remember to take off any wax, glitter, or paint from your jack-o-lantern before composting it.  

Let it Rot!

Compost your pumpkins in your backyard composter or worm bin (worms LOVE pumpkins).

1. Smash or cut the pumpkin into small pieces as this will help it decompose faster.
2. Cover the pumpkin pieces with loose leaves or other brown materials, such as straw, cardboard, or paper. This will balance the moisture and carbon levels in the compost and prevent odors and pests.
3. Let nature do its magic. The pumpkin will gradually break down into humus, a dark and crumbly substance that enriches the soil. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the weather and the size of the pumpkin pieces.

Responsibly dispose of your jack-o-lantern!

Get in touch with a community garden, farm, or wildlife sanctuary in your area and ask if they will accept your pumpkin. Put your jack-o-lanterns in your municipal green waste bin or drop it off at the Hartland Landfill green waste transfer bin.

Reuse your jack-o-lantern!

If your pumpkin is still safe for consumption, use it to make soup, pies, stuffed pumpkins or dehydrate it as a dog treat.

Posted in Education

Frontiers for Young Minds

August 31, 2021

Hey everyone! This month I wanted to share a new resource with you that we’ve been super into lately at the CEC. Frontiers for Young Minds (https://kids.frontiersin.org/) is an “open access scientific journal written by scientists and reviewed by a board of kids and teens.” 

On their website you can find hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics from soil health and ecology, sustainability, anatomy, chemistry, biology, human health and more. Peruse articles written specifically for youth that will challenge young learners with new concepts, words and ideas while maintaining accessibly with the option to hover over new concepts for definitions, lots of great images and glossaries.

This website is a cool source for scientific info for school projects, or just exploring and learning new information for kids ages ~12 and up! The accessible yet scientific language and cited content would also benefit highschool learners, or adults who are looking to learn something new!

 

As soil contamination is one of our focuses here at the CEC, this week I was excited to read their article “ How Soil Invertebrates Deal With Microplastic Contamination.” Check it out for a simple introduction to soil invertebrates with detailed images, and a quick breakdown of what they are, what they do, and how they interact with microplastics in our soil! There was lots of info in the article that was new to me, so I hope you can learn something new ? 

 

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BioDiversity Vol.2

August 31, 2021

Volume 2 of our Biodiversity Zine is now published! This new volume is focused on Indigenous Ecological Stewardship and explores stories of 6 Indigenous folks, and the relationship and connection they have with land. 

The Biodiversity zine is written and created for youth by CEC staff member Zoe-Blue! It’s a great resource to explore Indigenous Ecological Stewardship with your children, or as a self guided resource for older youth. The current volume looks at invasive and native plants, remediation, Indigenous plant knowledge and how we can better care for the land we are living on. Click here to view the PDF version of the zine. The Zine is also available for pickup at the CEC, or via mail, both by donation. 

Know of other great resources for child and youth education relating to composting, soil health, or ecology/sustainability more broadly? We would love to hear about them and continue to share these resources. Please feel free to share any resources you encounter with our Child & Youth Education Coordinator Elora at education@compost.bc.ca

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Loving the Land Zine

August 31, 2021

This month we are highlighting another great zine made in the community. The “Loving the Land” zine was made by the Youth Food Justice Group this summer and is a great resource for youth, as well as people of any age! The zine is filled to the brim with ideas for interactive activities, reflection exercises, games and more. It’s a great zine to use for guided exploration. It’s available for download here. I encourage everyone to explore it with your children, or take a look through yourself!

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