Backyard Composting Workshop

A workshop on backyard composting is scheduled Saturday June 11 at the Idyllwild Nature Center on Highway 243, according to the Riverside County Waste Management Department.

Composting is nature's way of recycling, according to a Waste Management web page.

"By definition, composting is the controlled decomposition of organic material such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and vegetable food waste," the county's composting page says. "Compost is the valuable soil product that results from proper composting.

"Composting helps to keep the high volume of organic material out of our landfills and turns that material into a useful product. With organics making up a significant part of California's municipal waste, onsite composting reduces the cost of hauling garbage and operating landfills.

"Compost is great for gardens and landscaping, and you can save money by buying less soil conditioner, mulch, and fertilizer."

Plans for building a comost bin can be found at http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/organics/44295054.pdf.

Composting bins will be on sale for Riverside County residents.

The Nature Center, administered by Riverside County Parks, charges day-use fees of $2 per adult, $1 per child under 12, and $1 per dog.

For more information about the Nature Center, call (951) 659-3850.

For more information about recycling and composting at home from the Riverside County Waste Management Department, visit http://www.rivcowm.org/opencms/recycling/recycling_and_compost_home.html#howToCompost.