Hello and welcome to The Compost Bin. I'm Compostwoman and I live with my family in rural Herefordshire. We have nearly four acres of garden and woodland, all managed organically and to Permaculture principles, which we share with Chickens, Cats and assorted wildlife. We also grow a lot of our own food, run courses in all sorts of things and make a lot of compost!

I am a Master Composter and have spent more than a decade as a volunteer Community Compost adviser with Garden Organic and my local Council.
I'm a self employed Environmental Educator so I run workshops and events where I talk about compost, veg growing, chicken keeping, cooking, preserving and sustainable living. I also run crafts workshops and Forest School/outdoor play sessions in our wood.

We try to live a more self sufficient lifestyle here, as best we can, while still having a comfortable life and lots of fun.


To learn more about us click on the About Compostwoman tab and remember to click on the photos to make them full size!


Tuesday 5 February 2008

A trip to Bishops Wood Environment Center

I spent a very enjoyable day last Sunday at a Master Composter course held at Bishops Wood Environment Center, near Kidderminster.

We had a morning of lectures on how to improve our composting advice giving skills, then a very scrummy lunch, then some practical "making up potting compost" from scratch and then finally a tour of the Center. It was a really good day, although I had an early start and I got home very late!


Below are a few pictures I took from my day out.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting The Environment centre


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The lake , which is rainwater runoff from the building, cleaned and used to flush the loos, and the waste water is cleaned by the reedbeds and used again.


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
One of the rain water run off funnels into the lake, The building is on legs to help with the passive ventilation system. In the summer hot air rises out through the glass cupola and cool air is drawn up into the building from under the floor via vents.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
How many Master Composters does it take to mix up some potting compost??

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Some of my fellow Master Composters in action!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Me with my planted up pot.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Our guide showing us the lovely Tree Bogs...!



Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting An authenticly designed and hand made Saxon Hall...it was very cosy inside as well!


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Anyone remember these?? Designed by Roger Dean ( of Yes album covers fame!) They were buried in the ground up to the bottom of the windows. Think they were called Eco Pods??

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting One of the many Living Willow structures on the site. Bishops Wood runs courses on all sorts of environmental themes.

4 comments:

  1. So nice to see you smiled! Everybody looked soooooooooooo serious!
    Enjoy the sunshine.
    Dxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well it IS a serious business being a Master Composter......

    but I see what you mean!! They were all listening very intently to the Tutor.......whilst I was wandering around taking pictures.

    We are all a jolly lot really, honest!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know about looking serious, but you certainly look very cold. Nice looking compost.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well it was a FREEZING cold day that day!!

    ReplyDelete

Hello! Thank you for reading my blog and for commenting. I try to reply as quickly as I can and I really appreciate your interest in my life and doings here in The Compost Bin.

UA-40361266-1