SILVER SPRING, MD – Spring is in the air, and Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is celebrating by giving away backyard compost bins on Friday, April 1, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Meadowside Nature Center (while supplies last).
The public can use the compost bins to combine yard trimmings such as dry leaves, wood, grass and plant clippings, with kitchen scraps to create nutrient rich soil, while providing numerous benefits to the environment such as:
- Reducing the need for commercial fertilizers
- Slowing rain water runoff
- Preventing soil erosion
- Providing natural soil fertilizer
- Reducing landfill waste and
- Suppressing plant disease.
“As a Green Center, Meadowside Nature Center is increasing its sustainability efforts by starting a composting program,” said Carolina Giraldo, Director of Meadowside Nature Center. “Not only are we now composting our own yard trimmings, and animal bedding that we produce here at the Nature Center, but we also want to teach our visitors about composting and encourage them to start composting at their homes.”
Meadowside Nature Center staff are designing a Compost Demonstration Exhibit for visitors to observe various composting systems and learn how to build them. The exhibit will be open to the public this June.
This is the first year Meadowside Nature Center is serving as a compost bin distribution site. The compost bins are made of 50% recycled plastic and are designed to retain heat and moisture. They have ventilation openings for aeration and are 36 inches high with a diameter that can be adjusted to three feet.
About the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 417 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.MontgomeryParks.org
Accessibility:
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission encourages the involvement and participation of all individuals in the community, including those with disabilities, in the planning and review processes. In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M?NCPPC) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities. M?NCPPC works to make its facilities and materials accessible and to hold public meetings in locations that are, likewise, accessible. M?NCPPC will generally provide, upon request, appropriate aids and services and make reasonable modifications to policies and programs for qualified persons with disabilities (e.g., large print materials, listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.). For assistance with such requests, please contact the M-NCPPC Montgomery County Commissioners’ Office, at least a week in advance, at (301) 495-4600 or at mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org . Maryland residents can also use the free Maryland Relay Service for assistance with calls to or from hearing or speech-impaired persons; for information, go to www.mdrelay.org/ or call (866) 269-9006.
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