Last Saturday morning, I traveled to the William Bird Community Center where a few of my fellow lodgers and I went to volunteer at the center’s urban farmlet. When we got there we were immediately greeted and brought to the gym where we learned about the history of the William Bird center and what it provides to the city of Richmond. We were then divided up into two groups, one that spent time weeding invasive grass species, and one that helped start setting up compost bins and began mulching. We worked along side a man named Mathew who was the garden manager for the urban farmlet, who continuously provided knowledge and insight on the tasks that we were performing, such as composting and information about the invasive species that we were trying to get ride of.
I was part of the group that helped that helped set up the compost bins and mulched. We spent a great deal of time emptying the compost bins so that we could move them into the main garden area. We saw how the compost bins were comprised of layers and sections of sticks, plants and grass, dirt, and eventually the soil that they would use. Once we emptied the bins and moved them, we helped set up a unique black plastic rotating compost bin. We filled up this bin and set it up in the garden area as well. Mathew told us about how the black plastic bin, although he had not used it before, was a faster method of composting because the black plastic generates more heat, which is essential to composting.
It was interesting to see the different methods of composting used, and how we could literally see the different stages and sections of the compost bins that we had to empty out. At the simplest level, the process of composting requires making a mound of damp organic matter and simply waiting for the materials to break down over time. Although there are more modern approaches for composting that are more time efficient, this was a great way to see a natural and traditional method. We also learned about how compost can be rich in nutrients, and how the compost is beneficial for the land in many ways, such as a fertilizer, soil conditioner, and natural pesticide for soil. It is also useful for erosion control and as a landfill cover.
My time at the William Bird community center was extremely inspiring, and again we all saw first hand how giving a few hours to help out can make a tremendous difference. It was also exciting to hear about the farmers market they put on in the summer time once a week, and how they help out low-income families and allow the use of food stamps at their market. We learned that a lot of the volunteers they get are UR students, and we saw the impact they have made, including the construction of the compost bins and others tools that we were using.