Debris Free Oceans partnered with the Miami Beach Botanical Garden to host a compost workshop at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden Compost Hub Saturday.
Debris Free Oceans normally focuses on encouraging people to use alternatives to non-biodegradable material such as plastic, and this was the first time it took part in the weekly workshops. Cofounders Saira Fida and Caiti Waks smiled as they took attendance.
Sanna O’Sullivan, the head gardener of Miami Beach Botanical Garden, and Compost Advisor Cassidy Fry gave attendees a hands-on experience that explored the benefits, and safety hazards, of composting at home. Towards the end of the event, the two said they would like to have additional workshops to go into the finer details of producing rich compost.
One attendee, Eco-Logical Solutions owner Luiz Rodrigues, found the information useful.
“I feel I got sufficient info today,” he said.
Rodrigues, whose company consults about green solutions, said he lives in a condo and was able to learn how to compost in his limited space.
“I will explore opportunities with indoor composting or see if I need to move my compost onto my balcony,” he said.
During the workshop, a woman visited to donate her food scraps to a donation bin. This prompted Fry and O’Sullivan to tell everyone that the Botanical Garden accepts food waste donations from the public to help maintain the garden.
Later on during the event, another person, Ivor Rose, came by to donate food waste. Rose said he donates to Botanical Garden twice a week but voiced his concerns with the location of the donation bin.
“The [staff] gate is always locked,” Rose said. “They should move the bin outside the gate.”
Although the entrance is meant for staff only, O’Sullivan said they do try to keep the gate open for public access. However, she said, they prefer that visitors go to the main entrance when coming by to donate organic waste.
