1. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 How to Host a Compost Jill Frank North Mississippi GK-8 March 2007

2. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 What is a compost?  A compost is how nature recycles things naturally.  When you see twigs or leaves on the forest floor, composting is taking place.  Living things will decompose and create nutrient rich soil.

3. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 What does a compost do?

4. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 Why should we compost?  Every day each of us throws at least 4 pounds of garbage away.  That equals 1,460 pounds a year!  All of our garbage goes into a big pit called a landfill.  In the landfill, our garbage does not decompose.

5. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 What items can be composted?  Items that were once living can be put into a compost pile to break down.  Kitchen and yard scraps work the best.

6. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 What does the compost need to work effectively? 1.Soil 2.Scraps The 4 T’s 3.Temperature (soil must be hot) 4.Turning (you must mix the soil regularly) 5.Tiny bugs (they eat the scraps) 6.Thirst (for the tiny organisms to drink)

7. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 Sow Bug

8. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 Mold

9. Earthworm

10. Springtail

11. Hister Beetle and Mites

12. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 Millipede

13. Pill Bug and Snail

14. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 What does a compost make? NUTRIENT RICH SOIL

15. NSF North Mississippi GK-8 What 6 things does a compost need? 1.Soil 2.Scraps The 4 T’s 3.Temperature (soil must be hot) 4.Turning (you must mix the soil regularly) 5.Tiny bugs (they eat the scraps) 6.Thirst (for the tiny organisms to drink)

16. NSF North Mississippi GK-8References  California Against Waste. 2007. Compost. Accessed 21 March 2007. http://www.cawrecycles.org/node/491?PHPSESSID=9b0d598589b6c 471ddc  Department of Agriculture. Composting with Willie the worm. Accessed 21 March 2007. http://www.mda.state.mi.us/kids/citykidz/Compost2/index.html http://www.mda.state.mi.us/kids/citykidz/Compost2/index.html  How Stuff Works. 1998-2005. How a Landfill Works. Accessed 2005 October 19. http://people.howstuffworks.com/landfill.htm http://people.howstuffworks.com/landfill.htm  How Stuff Works. 1998-2005. How a Compost Works. Accessed 2005 October 19. http://home.howstuffworks.com/composting.htm http://home.howstuffworks.com/composting.htm  I EARN. Environmental protection. Accessed 21 March 2007. http://www.iearn.hu/Apponyi/index.htm/  Lavies, B. 1993. Compost Critters. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books.  Pomona College Organic Farm. 2006. Education. http://organicfarm.pomona.edu/ http://organicfarm.pomona.edu/  Turn and Screen. Compost windrow cover. Accessed 21 March 2007. http://www.turnandscreen.com/Composting.html  Wikipedia. 2007. Compost. Accessed 21 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost