Soil Builders - Education for Action:

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Using Compost to Prevent Erosion and Improve Water Quality in the Lake Champlain Basin

Photo by LC Basin Program

Photo by LC Basin Program

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Hinesburg, VT, [November 4, 2020] – The Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) was awarded an Education and Outreach Grant from the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, to develop and provide “Soil Builders” workshops that will provide compost-related eco-literacy for Lake Champlain Basin decision-makers, professionals and advocates.

Concerns about elevated phosphorous levels in the Lake Champlain Basin have contributed to confusion about when and how to use compost. There is a knowledge gap about specific benefits from using compost and how to modify current farming, site engineering and landscaping practices to produce those benefits. The physical, biological, and chemical properties of compost in the soil matrix contribute to the all-important structure that keeps soil particles – and the phosphorous attached to them – from eroding. This allows healthy functioning of the soil: infiltrating water, decreasing runoff, preventing erosion, and retention of nutrients.

Education is key for promoting compost solutions as environmentally beneficial and cost competitive choices. There is a meaningful connection between how we design and maintain the natural elements in built environments and how healthy soil improves water quality. Using compost in land management practices is a critical strategy for climate adaptation. When added to soils, the structure and web of organisms in compost increase soil stability, fertility, water infiltration, and moisture retention.

We anticipate that virtual workshops will begin this Winter, with small in-person workshops convening in the Spring.

Project partners include Athena Lee Bradley, Compost Consultant; Marc Companion, Lake Champlain Sea Grant; Charles Duprey, Naturcycle; Deb Neher, Department of Plant and Soil Science, UVM; Dan Goossen, CSWD Green Mountain Compost; Brian Jerose, Agrilab Technologies; Elly Ventura, Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District; and other members of the CAV Board of Directors.

For more information contact Natasha Duarte: natasha@compostingvermont.org, 802-373-6499