Over the years of California Heartland, we’ve learned a lot about composting. But we’ve never had a lesson that was as big a kick as the day we spent at Forestville Union School District.

Our teachers were Linda Strauss’ 2^nd grade summer school class. They, and some of their schoolmates, are experts in gardening and recycling. Along with standard efforts such as recycling paper, cardboard and aluminum cans, the students also emphasize composting.

So, at the beginning of the day we got our marching orders and set out to gather cut grass for the compost pile. Later, the kindergartners added a different layer.

But for this school district, composting and recycling don’t just make sense environmentally, they also make sense economically. They have saved at least $160 a month for the last 3 years by cutting down on the number of garbage dumpsters required.

Composting also contributes to the school’s successful gardening program. The 2^nd graders led the way. Not only do they harvest what they grow in Mrs. Strauss’ class, they also get to raffle it off to see who gets to take it home and eat it.

After a hard days work gardening and composting, the class celebrated the end of summer school with an ice cream party. They invited us to dig in as well.

For more information on composting, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/.