Bobcat Blend And City Offer Composting Certification Course
Bobcat Blend And City Offer Composting Certification Course
By: Alexa Tavarez
Backyard composting piles are increasing in popularity due to educational efforts by the City of San Marcos and nonprofits.
A two-week master training course provides composting certification. The program is sponsored by the city, Bobcat Blend at Texas State and the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (S.T.A.R.).
“We want to create a program that reflects the values of the city,” said Neil Kaufman, president of Bobcat Blend. “We don’t want to ignore the fact that we’re in a beautiful, ecologically rich city.”
City and Bobcat Blend officials have similar goals but answer to different audiences, Kaufman said. Texas State students are Bobcat Blend’s audience, while the city primarily serves residents.
“That doesn’t say that our constituencies don’t overlap,” Kaufman said. “We would like to work together to accomplish both of our goals.”
Amy Kirwin, solid waste program coordinator, said collaborating with Bobcat Blend does not cost the city anything.
Officials with the city’s solid waste department increase landfill diversion by encouraging citizens to start backyard composting piles, recycle and use bulk pickup of leaves and other yard litter, Kirwin said.
“We have a limited number of landfills in the area,” Kirwin said. “(Encouraging) people to divert waste from going to the landfill will save landfill air space.”
Composting addresses local, state and international environmental conservation problems, Kaufman said. Lawn watering and municipal activities account for a significant percentage of county usage.
Compost retains moisture, and an active composter can curtail municipal water use in gardens.
Composting is not a “silver bullet” for environmental concerns, but Bobcat Blend officials are spreading awareness throughout the community, Kaufman said.
Rebecca Pugh, San Marcos resident, earned her Master Composter Certification during the October 2014 course. She is in charge of composting for the Dunbar Community Garden.
Pugh said she was surprised at the passion and commitment displayed by those involved in the course.
Pugh cautions those interested in composting to avoid categorizing it as a trend. She believes the collaborative efforts of city officials and Bobcat Blend have contributed to the rise of backyard composting.
“‘Trend’ is a dangerous word to use,” Pugh said. “Maybe there are people that compost to seem cool, but every effort counts (regardless of) their intentions.”
Pugh said composting isn’t a new idea. Younger generations are responsive to conservation efforts and realize they need to preserve what is left.
Pugh proposed starting a city compost pile or providing trucks for Bobcat Blend’s site.
Kirwin said city officials must consider the costs of Pugh’s proposals and what part of the budget the funding would come from. Kirwin coordinates with graduate students from Bobcat Blend to host community events on composting and other environmental initiatives.
“Composting is a way to develop a set of ethics,” Pugh said. “Before we were just food wasters, but now we’re trying to consider where it goes.”
Alexa Tavarez is a senior news reporter for the University Star where this story originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the University Star and Corridor News.
