Rainbarrels (and Composters) R Us!

Thursday May 14th was the day for unloading rainbarrels & composters from trucks (over 200), and now Friday the 15th & Saturday the 16th are rainbarrel pick up!

So, we are pretty much all rainbarrels right now! 55-60 gallon barrels don't weigh a lot, but they are large, and stacked three high in the back of the building, they probably take up 500 square feet!

I asked one of the drivers where they get the barrels, and he said that all sorts of things are shipped in them from all over the world: pickles, banana peppers, olives, chocolate-covered cherries (??!!), etc. The barrels are made of really sturdy, food-grade plastic, but are not reused for shipping, so are a potentially huge waste stream. But, with a few simple additions, they make a great rainbarrel or composter.

The rainbarrels are fitted with a lid that has a screen covering one or more holes. This allows water to flow from a downspout into the barrel, but keeps mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the water. There is a spigot near the bottom, and a couple of small openings higher up where one can use a hose to connect multiple barrels together -- that way, when one barrel fills up, water starts to fill the next barrel.

The barrels used for composters have a solid lid, and a wooden stand with a bar through the middle of the barrel. This allows one to spin the barrel and mix the compost. The barrels also have a vent tube that allows air to get into the center of the barrel. (Air is one of the keys to making good compost.)

I bought one of the composters this year, and will be sure to let you know how it works. I can aleady vouch for the rainbarrels - I've had two for two years, and they are wonderful!

We plan to sell these every year - it is a fun way to raise awareness of the need for people to conserve water, and to recycle their food and yard waste.

Memorial Tree Planting Approaches

On May 23rd, TLC will have its second annual Memorial Oak Planting! This is a program we started in 2008 to provide local residents with a unique way to create a living memorial.

There are two options available:

- for $50 per tree, TLC will plant a tree for you to commemorate a special occasion (like a birthday or anniversary) or remember a loved one. TLC will send a certificate to the person of your choice to memorialize the planting.

- for $35 a tree, individuals can come and plant an oak themselves. (Each additional tree planted is just $20, so two trees would be $55 if you plant them yourself.) Planting times are at 9:30am and 11am for those who wish to plant their own tree. Call the TLC office 815-337-9502 to reserve your time.

As I am writing this, I think we have 40 trees ordered! That is going to be a nice oak grove one day! We will erect a sign to commemorate the planting.

We are very excited about the location of the planting: it will be at one of our newest easements, the 25 acre Hennen Conservation Area on Dean Street in Woodstock. The site where the trees will be planted is currently lawn, but will be restored to savanna over time as a demonstration of how people with oaks can convert their lawns to savanna if they have oaks.

The Hennen property is in the process of becoming a public park, so the grove of 2009 Memorial oaks is ensured of a good home for the next 100+ years!

Visit http://www.conservemc.org/ to place your order.