A week after volunteers across Clark County built a compost bin at the CASEE gardens in Brush Prairie, Environmental Outreach Specialist Senior Pete DuBois returned with an update that’s steaming - literally.
A June 4 composting workshop hosted by Clark County Composts brought together community members to build the bin and learn composting basics using common materials. Participants layered carbon-rich “browns” like hay and newspaper with nitrogen-rich “greens” like coffee grounds and shredded weeds—including nipplewort, a plant DuBois referenced in the video.
Now, one week later, DuBois reported the bin had dropped by a full foot and hit 132 degrees inside without any intervention. All of the green material, had browned entirely during the process.
Turning the compost, he noted signs of rapid decomposition.
“You can already see how different it looks,” he said. “And the steam that’s coming off. We’re cooking pretty hot here.”
DuBois said the pile had dried out slightly from all the coffee grounds, so he added a bucket of water while turning the contents to remix the browns and greens.
“This mixes the greens and our browns together that we layer,” he explained. “When we do this 3 or 4 more times… we’re really well mixed.”
He plans to repeat the process weekly. In a few months of turning, the composting cycle will be complete.
For those following along or looking to start composting at home, DuBois is documenting the project at @composting.pete on Instagram. People can read The Reflector’s coverage of the project at thereflector.com/stories/clark-county-workshop-teaches-local-gardeners-to-champion-composting,382400?/
