Zoom into Soil: Contaminated Soils and the Impact on Human Health
Graham O’Mahony, Chair of the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA), and Margaret Oliver, BSSS Honorary Member, discuss contaminated soils and the impact on human health.
Zoom into Soil: Composting
Welcome to the Zoom into Soil: Composting webinar from the British Society of Soil Science.
Supported by Garden Organic, we were delighted to welcome Dr Audrey Litterick, Director at Earthcare Technical, and David Hawkyard, Volunteer Coordinator for the Norfolk Master Composter Programme, as they discussed the topic of composting.
Our first speaker, Dr Audrey Litterick, presented: ‘Composting – the myths and the magic’. Audrey is a practical soils and horticulture specialist with a strong science background gained at both SAC and Aberdeen University. She helps clients develop and optimise quality products and by-products such as composts and anaerobic digestates. In her presentation, Audrey covers several points including:
- Definition of compost and composting
- Why make compost?
- How to make good compost
- What composts are worth in terms of their financial and nutrient value
- How to use composts
Our second speaker, David Hawkyard, presented: ‘The Master Composter Programme.’ David is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Norfolk Master Composter Programme, a partnership project between Garden Organic and Norfolk County Council. David is ‘embedded’ in the Waste Reduction Team at Norfolk County Council and recruits, trains and supports a network of 80 volunteers in the county who act as ambassadors for home composting. Garden Organic works with a number of local authorities in the UK to run Master Composter programmes, training volunteers in local communities to promote the benefits of home composting, offer support to people who would like to start composting and help people improve their method. In his presentation, David provides an overview of how the programmes operate and the successes and challenges experienced.
Bruce Pearce, Director of Science at Garden Organic, provides an introduction to Garden Organic at the start of the webinar and also hosts the Q&A section at the end.
To learn more about composting, check out this practical guide written by Dr Audrey Litterick for the Scottish Farm Advisory Service.
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