April 2010

Another leave spill again early this month. While cleaning up this spill two creatures came out to show their faces. A centipede and an earthworm has made this bin their other home.

To be continued.

March 2010

Spring is coming. The gate of the compost bin swung open this month and I shovel the leave spill back. Due to the heavy snow fall the size of the pile has shrunk about 30%.

February 2010

Waiting for Spring.
Not much was done to the compost pile this month with the snow blizzards. I'm sure the pile is slowly working on its own.

January 2010

The bins had wire mesh fencing as front enclosures after the swing gate on the right was vandalized and Parks took down the one on the left. I don't remember if there was or should be a gate for the middle bin. Thanks to Parks the gate on the left was put back so access to the compost materials is easier now.

I took temperatures of the compost pile since December and there were only a 2-3 degrees difference compare to the air. It's not heating up yet because it lacks green materials and water to create an optimal environment for organisms and decomposers. On the afternoon of January 18, a sunny mid-40s day, the internal temperature of the compost pile was only 29F with water frozen inside. Temperatures taken since vary little.

The middle bin held most of the materials in December and Parks employee since then unloaded more leaves to all three bins. With the left gate fixed, I transferrred all the leaves from the middle bin to the left and from the right bin to the middle.

December 2009

I was surprised to finally notice these compost bins in the park this summer. They weren't being used yet so I reached out to Parks and offered to start composting and maintain them with members of the Sunset Park Garden Club. About a month ago in mid November I received the okay from Eric Greene, the Parks Regional Managers for this part of Brooklyn, to start putting materials in the compost bins for decomposition. These bins are only filled with fallen leaves, twigs, fresh leaves, green plants, and landscape trimmings from the park. Food scraps and household items were purposely omitted to deter rodents and animals.

Parks Department is fabricating an official sign for the compost bins.