Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 2

April 2016

Pez Maya

IMPROVING THE COMPOSTING SYSTEM IN PEZ MAYA


Objectives:
Improving the current composting system and to produce soil to grow vegetables on base in the future.
We plan to share what we are achieving and learning with volunteers at Pez Maya and with the
community of Punta Allen to make more people in the Sian Kaan Biosphere conscious and responsible
of waste products in order to accomplish sustainable practices globally.
Summary:

In Pez Maya we are conscious that GVI aligns and helps achieving the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. Therefore, we began our efforts to create local and global- resource
efficiency in consumption and production patterns. In order to do so, we worked on improving our
current compost. With the help of an expert, the compost system was improved by setting up a better
system to lay the organic waste and to produce soil for growing a veggie garden on base.
Report:

Our efforts to improve our compost began a few months ago with the construction of a
wooden box in which we used to pile the organic matter (Fig 1-2). Pez Maya paradisiac
surroundings which involve sandy beaches, mangroves, lagoons and a variety of animals that
come to enjoy the organic waste feast from flies to raccoon families- can become a challenge
when trying to maintain a compost that aims to produce quality soil for growing greens.
However, we are closer to success every day.

Fig 1 and 2: How our old compost was looking, and how it looks now.

Our first move was to seek for assistance from a local expert since even when we used to have
two wooden boxes in a designated area to dump our organic waste, it wasnt decomposing just
by piling inside the boxes. We cleared all of what was accumulated and started the system that

GVI.2016.1

requires a thick base of brown and dry


materials which in this case is mainly thick
cardboard and some dry leaves. That way we
also reuse the cardboard boxes we generate on
base.

Fig. 3 Reusing cardboard on base to help the compost.

The next layer is a combination of finely


chopped organic waste no citric or meatmixed with small cardboard pieces, dry leaves
and a little bit of green leaves to add some
nitrogen (Fig 4.). Everything has to be well
mixed and damp, coffee helps a lot to prevent
bad smells and to keep it moist.

We also have some composting worms that we are growing


separately at the moment, we will wait a few weeks for them
to reproduce and will put some in the compost box (Fig.5).
With their help, soil production will be much quicker and of a
better quality. We are hoping that in a few months we will
have some nice soil for us to start a veggie garden on base. We
will make it using other recycling materials we generate, such
as plastic containers. We are looking for more and better ways
of dealing with the waste products we generate on base.
An effective composting system will involve managing our
organic waste, our cardboard and will give us the opportunity
to grow some vegetables from the region on base. We also
want to share some of the learning with the community of
Punta Allen. Our goal is to substantially and actively reduce Fig. 4 Layers of organic waste,
waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and cardboard, and dry leaves to help
reach our end goal.
reuse.

If you would like you read more about this monitoring


project please visit http://www.gvi.co.uk/programs/marineconservation-expedition-mexico

Fig. 5 Worms

GVI.2016.1

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi