Composting Demonstration Sites



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Composting Demonstration Sites to Visit

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This composting demonstration site is located at the Seattle Tilth Gardens in Seattle, Washington. It's a great place and very worth a visit if you live in or visit the Seattle area.

Below is a list of composting demonstration sites, organized by state/province and, when possible, including the name of the person or organization maintaining the sites. Some sites and organizations offer composting workshops; others don't. To the best knowledge of the person maintaining these pages, these sites are open to the public, but it is simply impossible to field-check information received by email. You may wish to contact the responsible person or organization for more information before visiting - as always, courtesy pays.

Alabama

HUNTSVILLE: at Huntsville Botanical, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave SW, just 5 blocks east of the Space and Rocket Center (phone 205-830-4447 for more information).

Alaska

ANCHORAGE: Cheryl Paige deomonstrates composting with earthworms at the Saturday Market in downtown Anchorage (3rd and C Streets), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and also operates a composting project at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Listed 11/15/98.

Alberta:

CALGARY: at the Calgary Zoo; the compost site is near the South entrance on Zoo Dr. N.E. accessible from 9th Ave and 11th Street S.E. (phone the zoo at 403-232-9300 for more information). Listing updated 8/11/97.

OLDS COLLEGE: on campus there is a composting centre that does a variety of projects ranging from a pilot project with the town to hydrocarbon bioremediation. If interested in a tour, phone 403-556-4745 or 1-800-661-OLDS to make arrangements ahead of time. Olds College offers a diploma program in composting as well as a one year facility operator certificate. Listed 8/11/97.

Arizona:

PHOENIX: at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office, 44th St and Broadway. Also, an automated information system with a tape on composting is available at 602-470-1556. Push 574 when the recording starts (phone 602-470-8086 for more information). Listing updated 2/16/97.

TUCSON: at Tucson Botanical Garden at Alvernon Way and Grant Road maintained by the Tucson Organic Garden Club (a volunteer staffs the site on saturday mornings. No contact phone number was available at the time of listing). Listing updated 08/23/05.

British Columbia:

BURNABY: GVRD Compost Demonstration Garden, at 4856 Still Creek, staffed every day but monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Workshops are offered (phone 604-299-0659 for more information).

DELTA: the Delta Recycling Society Compost Demonstration Garden is at 7046 Brown Street, open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May to September. Workshops offered (phone 604-946-9828 for more information).

HORNBY ISLAND: at the Recycling Depot and Free Store (for more information contact the Recycling Depot Manager, Hornby Island, BC, Canada V0R 1Z0)

LANGLEY: the Township of Langley Compost Demonstration Garden is at 4914 - 221st St., and is staffed from 8:30 to 4:30 every day but monday during from May to September. Workshops are offered (phone 604-533-6006 for more information).

MAPLE RIDGE: the Port Haney Compost Education and Urban Organic Garden is at 11739 - 223rd St., open Weds.-Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April to October (phone 604-463-5545 for more information).

NORTH VANCOUVER: at Park and Tilford Gardens, 333 Brooksbank.

PORT COQUITLAM: located at 1300 Dominion Ave., open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (phone 604-942-7518 for more information).

RICHMOND: the Richmond Compost Demonstration Garden is located at 5555 Lynas Lane, and is staffed Weds.-Sun., 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Workshops offered (phone 604-270-3257 for more information).

SURREY: the Crescent Beach Compost Demonstration Garden is located at 2916 McBride Ave., staffed sundays from April to October. Workshops offered (phone 604-535-4158 for more information).

SURREY: at the Kwantlen College Garden, 12666 - 72 Ave., open saturdays in the summer from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Workshops offered (phone 604-535-4158 for more information).

VANCOUVER: at 2150 Maple St., Apr.-Nov. staffed Wed.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Dec.-Mar. staffed Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.. Workshops offered (phone 604-736-2250 for information).

VICTORIA: has a demo site maintained by the Victoria Compost and Conservation Education Society.

WEST VANCOUVER: The West Vancouver Compost Demonstration Garden is at 15th and Argyle (Beachside).

California:

ALAMEDA COUNTY: at Shannon Park in Dublin, maintained by Alameda County. Free classes in basic composting and vermicomposting offered by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, in the cities of Oakland, Union City, Dublin, and Livermore (please telephone the Rotline at 510-635-6275 for more information).

ARCADIA: Home Garden Learning Center at the Los Angeles County Arboretum (adjacent to the community garden), 305 N. Baldwin Avenue, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (phone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

CALABASAS: Home Garden Learning Center at Gates Canyon, 25801 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (phone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

CARSON: Home Garden Learning Center at Victoria Park, 419 East 192 St., maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (phone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

COVINA: Backyard Composting Center at Charter Oak Park, 20261 E. Covina Boulevard, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department Quail Botanical Gardens (Classes are held on the first saturday of each month, and Master Composter training in the Fall. Phone 760-436-7986 for more information). Ung workshops and scheduled events only. (phone 1-888-CLEAN-om after 12/1/98).

LA MIRADA: Home Garden Learning Center at La Mirada Civic Center, 13700 La Mirada Boulevard, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

LONG BEACH: at the El Dorado Nature Center, 7550 E. Spring St., maintained by the Department of Public Works, Integrated Resources Bureau (workshops offered and bins offered at a discount. Phone 310-570-1745 for more information).

LONG BEACH: Backyard Composting Center at Birney Elementary School, 710 West Spring Street, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

PALOS VERDES: Backyard Composting Center at South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

PASADENA: Backyard Composting Center at Eaton Canyon Park, 1750 N. Altadena Drive, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS: Backyard Composting Center at Shabarum Park, 17250 E. Colima Road, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

SACRAMENTO: There are three sites in the area, at Fair Oaks Park (8000 Temple Park Dr., near community garden), The Safety Center (3909 Bradshaw Road, 1 mi S. of Hwy. 50, back parking lot), and at Rio Linda-Elverta Recreation & Park District Horse Arena (810 Elkhorn Blvd. near Cherry Ln.). Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento sponsor how-to programs several times a month (and a correspondance course), with free compost bins given to those completing the classes. (phone the Sacramento County Rot Line at 916-875-6799 for more information). Updated 11/15/98.

SAN FRANCISCO: at Garden for the Community, 7th Ave. and Lawton St.. Composting workshops and demonstrations in English, Spanish, and Cantonese are offered (phone the rotline at 415-285-7585 for more information).

SAN JACINTO: on the north end of the campus of Mt. San Jacinto Community College, on State Route 79 between Ramona Expwy. and Gilman Spgs. Rd., maintained by Riverside County. Several workshops offered in the Spring and Fall of each year. For more information, contact Steve Lech of the Riverside County Waste Resources Management District at 909-275-4366 (email: slech@co.riverside.ca.us). Listing updated 1/8/97.

SAN JOSE: at Emma Prusch Memorial Park, 647 South King Road, maintained by Master Composters of the University of California Cooperative Extension (Phone: 408-299-4147).

SANTA CLARITA: at Castaic Lake Water Agency, 27234 Bouquet Canyon Rd., maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

SANTA CRUZ: at the UCSC Farm and Garden, UCSC Campus, Bay and High Streets, maintained by staff and apprentices of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (more popularly known as the Farm and Garden). For more information, phone 831-459-3248.

SONORA: behind the County Library at 480 Greenley Road, maintained by the University of California Cooperative extension of Tuolumne County (classes are offered by Master Gardeners working out of the Farm Advisors Office, phone 209-533-5695 for more information).

TORRANCE: Backyard Composting Center at Columbia Regional Park (adjacent to the Lago Seco Community Garden), 4045 190th Street, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Backyard Composting Center at Havenhurst Community Garden, 1351 Havenhurst, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

WHITTIER: Backyard Composting Center at Sorenson Park, 11419 Rosehedge Drive, maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Compost demo site open during workshops and scheduled events only. (telephone 1-888-CLEAN-LA for more information, or visit http://www.smartgardening.com after 12/1/98). Updated 11/15/98.

Colorado:

BOULDER: at the community garden site, behind the North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway, maintained by Growing Gardens: http://www.growinggardens.org/ or 303-413-7248. Updated 03/24/09.

DENVER: at Gove Community Garden, 13th Ave. and Harrison St. (also faces Colorado Blvd.), maintained by Denver Master Composters (Phone: 303-922-4096).

CARBONDALE: a composting program is available for public viewing at the Coloardo Rocky Mountain School. Program highlights are posted on the CRMS web site. To see the program, please contact Spaff Ackerly (970-963-0499 / email to spaff@rof.net), or contact the main office (970-963-2562 / email to crms@crms.org). Listed 5/31/97.

FORT COLLINS: at Lee Martinez Farm, 600 N. Sherwood, open Wed.-Sun. 10-5, maintained by the City Department of Natural Resources (Phone: 970-221-6264)

LONGMONT: at the CSU Cooperative Extension Office, 9595 Nelson Road, maintained by CSU Cooperative Extension (Phone: 303-776-4865)

LOUISVILLE: Louisville leads Boulder County with two sites. One is at the Louisville Arboretum, at the Recreation Center on Via Appia, and the other is at the Louisville/Lafayette Recycling Center (at Hwy. 42 and Pine). Maintained by Boulder County Master Composters and the Louisville Resource Conservation Advisory Board. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 303-666-6565 ext. 500.

LOVELAND: City of Loveland Backyard Composting Demonstration Site, 400 N. Willson Ave. (same location as the yard waste composting site), maintained by the City of Loveland (Phone: 970-962-2529)

Georgia:

ATHENS: near the University of Georgia campus, maintained by the University of Georgia Grounds Department (Phone: 706-542-7531)

ATLANTA: at 156 Heaton Park Drive, maintained by the Fernbank Science Center (Phone: 404-378-4314 ext. 318)

ROSWELL: All the Roswell, Georgia recycling stations now have compost demonstration sites. They offer a wide variety of recycling options, including Goodwill charity depostories, tree chipping service and the backyard composting demonstration. No contact information or addresses available at time of listing. Listed 1/8/97.

Hawaii:

HALEIWA: at Waimea Falls Park, 59-864 Kamehameha Highway (no further information available at time of listing).

HONOLULU: at 151 Kapahulu Ave., maintained by the Honolulu Zoo (no phone number available at time of listing).

HONOLULU: at 2131 Makiki Hts. Drive, maintained by The Hawaii Nature Center (no phone number available at time of listing).

KANEOHE: 45-680 Luluku Rd., maintained by Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden (no phone number available at time of listing).

MAUI: a Home Composting Education project is funded by a County of Maui Public Works Recycling grant and is managed by Maui Recycling Group. One-hour workshops are available Saturdays at 10 am at Mantis Eco-Care, 2137 Vineyard Street, Wailuku. A starter bin is given to each participant. Workshops are $5.00 per person. Phone 572-6668 to register. Listing updated 8/11/97.

PEARL CITY: at 962 2nd St, maintained by the Pearl City Urban Garden Center (no phone number available at time of listing).

Illinois:

CHICAGO: in the Hyde Park Neighborhood at Nichols Park, on 53rd Street between Kenwood Avenue (1342 East) and Kimbark (1300 East). Open at all times for visitors, staffed on 1st Saturdays of the month, Spring through Fall, 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by Nichols Park Advisory Council, The Resource Center, and the Chicago Recycling Coalition (phone 312-862-2370 for more information).

Indiana:

FULTON COUNTY: located on Monticello Road. Heading north from Rochester on Old US 31 (Main Street), turn west onto Monticello Road and go approximately 1/2 mile to the Rochester Waste Water Treatment plant. Classes available. Sponsored by the Fulton County Solid Waste District (telephone 219-223-4939 for more information).

Kansas:

SALINA: at Kenwood Park,W on Greeley Ave.(left at first intersection), just across the street (SW) from the Bicentennial Center. This site is maintained by the Saline County Master Composters. For more information please telephone 1-785-826-6555. Listed 11/18/98.

WICHITA: at the demonstration garden at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 7001 W. 21st N. (21st & Ridge), maintained by the Extension Master Gardeners. Information on composting available at the site and inside the Extension Center. Open daylight hours. Group tours and classes available. (phone 316-722-7721 for more information). Listed 11/15/98.

Manitoba:

WINNIPEG: There are four sites in Winnipeg, located 1) on Westminster Avenue between Sherbrook Street and Maryland Street (staffed wednesdays 4-5 p.m.), 2) on River Ave between Scott Street and Bryce Street, set up in conjunction with the Osborne Village Community Gardens (staffed thursdays 4-5 p.m.), 3) at the St. Norbert Arts and Cultural Centre in St. Norbert, and 4) at the WASO garden centre on Munroe Street. These sites are maintained by the Recycling Council of Manitoba, and an education program runs from May through August (phone 204-925-3777 for more information).

Maryland:

HOWARD COUNTY: There are five sites maintained by the Howard County Master Gardeners. You may find more information by following this WWW link. Listed 4/19/98.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: There are two compost demonstration areas in Montgomery County, at Audubon Naturalist Society (8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase) and Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center (5110 Meadowside Lane, Rockville).

Massachussetts:

NORTH ATTLEBORO: Fred Glover, "the Compost King," maintains a site and will answer questions on the telephone. (phone 508-699-2904 for more information). Listed 11/15/98.

WALTHAM: on Beaver Street, 1/4 mile west of Rt. 60, at the University of Massachusetts Waltham Field Station of the Cooperative Extension Service (no contact phone number available at time of listing).

Michigan:

ANN ARBOR: located at the Leslie Science Center at 1831 Traver Road. Maintained by Project Grow Community Gardens. Phone is 313-996-3169, or contact the City of Ann Arbor Solid Waste Department (313-994-2807) for further information about this education center. Listed 1/8/97.

LANSING: at the Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania (maintaining organization not known, phone 517-483-4222 for more information).

NOVI: at Tollgate Education Center, on Meadowbrook Road at 12 Mile Road. Maintained by the Master Gardener Society of Oakland County (phone the Michigan State Extension Service at 810-858-0887 for more information).

Minnesota:

SAINT PAUL: at Como Park, near the entrance to the Como Zoo, maintained by the Saint Paul Neighborhoos Energy Consortium. Open to the public year 'round. Free workshops offered Spring and Fall. (for more information, phone 651-644-7678). Listed 11/15/98.

SAINT PAUL: at Highland Park, near the picnic pavillion on Montreal Avenue, maintained by the Saint Paul Neighborhoos Energy Consortium. Open to the public year 'round. Free workshops offered Spring and Fall. (for more information, phone 651-644-7678). Listed 11/15/98.

Missouri:

COLUMBIA: located on Rollins Street near Hitt Street/Rollins Street, maintained by Public Works Volunteer Program. Classes and compost bins also available. (for more information, telephone 874-6271)

New Brunswick

SAINT JOHN: self-guided site at Rockwood Park (for more information, contact the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission at 506-634-7928).

New Jersey:

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP: at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Environmental Park, located at 6700 Delilah Road. Also at the site are an organic community garden, nature trails, and a playground constructed from recycled materials. Environmental tours available (phone 609-646-5500 for more information). Listed 2/17/97.

MIDDLETOWN: at Deep Cut Park, on Red Hill Road in Middletown, maintained by the Monmouth County Recycling Office (908-431-7460) and the Monmouth County Park System. Both commercially produced and home-built composters are displayed at the site, along with informational placards. Literature is available. Open year-round during daylight hours. The Recycling Office also has a Master Composter training program, and Master Composters are available to provide home visits, talks, slide shows, demonstrations, and school activities.

New Mexico:

ALBUQUERQUE: at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, 1801 Mountain Rd NW (Mountain & 18th St.), designed and constructed by the Museum in cooperation with other city and state agencies (phone 505-841-2858 for more information).

ALBUQUERQUE: at the Albuquerque Council of Garden Clubs Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. Persons interested in Master Composter training should contact the Bernalillo County Extension Service, 243-1386 and indicate their interest. Listed 5/31/97.

ALBUQUERQUE: at the NE Xeriscape Garden, Spain at Wyoming NE. Persons interested in Master Composter training should contact the Bernalillo County Extension Service, 243-1386 and indicate their interest. Listed 5/31/97.

ALBUQUERQUE: There are also composting demonstration units at the Rio Grande Zoo and the Rio Grande Nature Center (no street addresses available at time of listing). Persons interested in Master Composter training should contact the Bernalillo County Extension Service, 243-1386 and indicate their interest. Listed 5/31/97.

New York:

ALBANY COUNTY: Cornell Cooperative Extension sponsors a demonstration site in Albany County. Call them for more information. Listed 4/19/98.

AUBURN: at Emerson Park, Lake Ave & Rte 38, maintained by Master Composters of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County (phone 315-255-1183 for more information).

NEW YORK CITY: at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx (contact the Bronx Green-Up Compost Project Manager at 718-817-8024 for more information). Updated 11/15/98.

ITHACA: The Master Composters of Tompkins County presently maintain three compost demonstration sites in Tompkins County (Listed 08/17/02):

At the CCETC office, 615 Willow Avenue - Roughly a dozen different bin styles on display with explanations, costs and pros/cons to each bin. This is a working demonstration site where our office of ~55 employees composts our food scraps.
At the Ithaca Community Gardens, off the 3rd St. Extension, near the Ithaca Farmer's Market - One row of static-style bins on display, opposite a row of dynamic-style bins. There's an educational board with a beautiful painting of "Love Your Compost" on the backside.
At the 4-H Acres, Lower Creek Rd. - smaller working demonstration site that is used by 4-H clubs and groups that use the space.

NEW YORK CITY: Queens Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and Lower East Side Ecology Center all have sites. No further information available. Listed 11/15/98.

ROCHESTER: Two sites exist in the Rochester area. One is located at the county recycling center on East Henrietta Road and another in Seneca Park Zoo. Maintained by the county's Solid Waste Department and Cornell Cooperative Extension (no contact phone number available at time of listing).

North Carolina:

CHAPEL HILL: at the Community Center Park, sponsored by the Garden Club of Chapel Hill (no contact information available at time of listing).

CHARLOTTE: The Compost Garden is located at Compost Central, run by Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Management, on West Boulevard a mile past the Billy Graham Parkway, near Charlotte/Douglass International Airport. Hands-on how-to classes available in the spring and fall; cost is $5 and participants receive wire for making a bin as well as a guidebook. Listed 5/31/97.

DURHAM: Durham has a demo site at the Museum of Life and Science 433 W. Murray Ave. (phone 919-220-5429 for more information). Demonstration classes are sometimes available.

Ontario:

LONDON: at 1017 Western Road (Grosvenor Lodge). (phone the compost Rot Line for more information, at 519-672-5991). Updated 11/15/98.

TORONTO: at the Broadview Meadow Community Garden, a community garden which is also a permaculture demonstration site, located behind the City Adult Learning Centre at Broadview Avenue and Danforth (contact the East Toronto Green Community Initiative at 416-461-9670 for more information).

Oregon:

PORTLAND AREA: Metro maintains 4 full-sized compost demonstration sites, each with 13 different compost bin systems in areas around the community, and one much smaller site at the Metro Washington Park Zoo. Compost classes are offered for free at the 4 larger sites each spring and fall (information about the locations of the sites may be found on the Metro website at: http://www.metro-region.org/rem/garden/compdemo.html). Listed 11/15/98.

Pennsylvania:

SANDY LAKE: at McKeever Environmental Learning Center, located 3 1/2 miles east of I-79 at Exit 34, on Rt. 358 (or, from I-80 take exit 3A to Sandy Lake, turn north (right) on Rt 173. At the trafic light turn left [west] towards Greenville on Rt 358 approx. 1 mile. McKeever will be on the right), maintained by Slippery Rock State University. Telephone 412-376-7585 for more information.

WEST CHESTER: near the campus of West Chester University -- the sign for the site is on High St. just outside of West Chester (Route 202 North veers off and if you go straight, you are headed into the city of West Chester). No contact information available at time of listing.

Quebec:

ST-HUBERT: The community has a composting facility that offers a two-hour course on how to compost (available in French language only at this time.). No contact information available at the time of listing.

Tennessee:

GERMANTOWN: operated by the City's Environmental Commission at C.O. Franklin Park at 7725 Poplar Pike. The demo site is just south of the tennis courts in the park, off of Melanie Smith Lane, just east on Poplar Pike from Germantown High School. For more information, contact Bo Mills at 901- 757-7387. Listed 1/8/97.

Texas:

CARROLLTON: The Marie Huie Outdoor Learning Center opened in 1995 at Rosemeade Elementary School, 3550 Kimberly. The site includes 15 different types of compost bins, a worm bin, and several garden areas. For more information, contact the Recycling Coordinator at 972-466-4959. Listed 11/18/98.

GRAND PRAIRIE: Grand Prairie plans to dedicate a new composting demonstration site in September, 1997 at Kirby Creek Park. Listed 5/31/97.

PLANO: A demonstration site is open to the public during daylight hours at 4120 W. Plano Parkway. Trained Master Composters will be on hand from 9 AM to 10:30 AM on the third Saturday of each month to demonstrate pile building. Information is also available from a web site at http://www.mastercomposter.com/local/plano1.html. If you would like to arrange a group visit for your organization, class, or club, contact Heather Merchant at 972-964-4111. Listed 11/18/98.

Virginia:

LYNCHBURG: Compost Demonstration Project (in cooperation with the Lynchburg Waste Management Facility), on Concord Turnpike off of US 460, maintained by Hill City Master Gardeners (contact Mr. Don Davis, Cooperative Extension Agent, Phone: 804-847-1585).

ROANOKE: behind the Fine Arts Building lower parking lot at Virginia Western Community College, on Colonial Avenue near Towers Shopping Center. Open daylight hours. For more information, contact John Arbogast in the Roanoke City Extension Office at 540-857-7915.

ROANOKE: at Mill Mountain Zoo, near the vegetable garden. There's a fee to enter the zoo, but visits can be arranged to the compost area, and they'll send information to interested individuals. (visit http://www.mmzoo.org for more information). Listed 11/15/98.

Washington:

BELLINGHAM: on the corner of Lakeway Drive and Woburn, maintained by Whatcom County Cooperative Extension and used for Master Recycler Composter training (phone 360-676-6736 for more information).

BUSH PRAIRIE: at CASEE (Center for Agriculture, Science, and Environmental Education), 11104 NE 219th St., maintained by the master composters of the WSU Clark County Extension office (phone 360-254-8436 for more information).

FERNDALE: Take exit 263 off of I-5, turn west , go to the RR overpass, turn left and follow signs to Hovander Homestead. Open from April 1 to October 30 each year. Maintained by Whatcom County Cooperative Extension and used for Master Recycler Composter training (phone 360-676-6736 for more information).

SEATTLE: at Seattle Tilth Gardens, in the Wallingford neighborhood. Workshops offered. Seattle Tilth also sponsors many other educational events related to composting, gardening, and small scale agriculture. To the best of my knowledge, it's the original home of Master Composter programs in North America (thanks, Tilth!). (please telephone Seattle Tilth at 206-633-0451 or visit their web site for more information)

SEATTLE: at El Centro de la Raza, on Beacon Hill (workshops offered, no address or contact phone number available at time of listing).

Please note: there are many more sites in the Seattle area, but I don't have information about them. If you find out about sites in the Seattle area that aren't listed here, or would like to track down a list of Seattle area sites, please let me know!

West Virginia:

WESTON: behind Jackson's Lodge at Jackson's Mill State 4-H Conference Center, about 100 miles north of Charleston near Interstate 79 (take exit 99 or 105 going west and follow the signs). Visitors are welcome whenever the camp is open. Site maintained by West Virginia University Extension Service Compost Committee (for information, phone 304-367-2772).

Wisconsin:

STEVENS POINT: Schmeekle Reserve at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point maintains a composting demonstration area for the general public as well as providing programs periodically on composting/worm bins. The City of Stevens Point also provides low cost composting bins for residents. No contact information available at time of listing. Listed 5/31/97.

WAUKESHA COUNTY: at Retzer Nature Center, about 3 miles west of the City of Waukesha. No admission fee. (phone 262-896-8007 for more information). Listed 11/15/98, Updated 04/06/07.