Do you make compost at home? Do you delight in the experience? If your answer to either of those questions is no, this week’s guest is here to help.

Delaina Arnold is the community programs manager with the Georgian Bay Mnidoo Gamii Biosphere, a UNESCO-designated “ecologically significant” landscape where people are striving to live in balance with nature. As part of that striving, the Biosphere launched a pilot project in 2025 to help people learn about home composting, to get started doing it themselves, and to troubleshoot any problems. Now we get to benefit from all that education, as Delaina answers Erin’s questions on the subject.

We begin with the big question: why bother rotting our kitchen scraps at all? Then it’s on to busting common myths before entering a crash course on home composting: where to place your bin, what type to make or buy, and how not to hate the container you use for collecting scraps. We troubleshoot common problems like wildlife, smell, and slow decomposition, then get into a tangent on the truth about using urine in your compost. Of course we also cover how to decompose your garden trimmings safely and what to do with manure. 

Ready to make some black gold with us? Then dive in to the interview.

Learn More

“Do the Rot Thing” webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74UODcc3IZE

All the Biosphere’s short, downloadable gardening guides, including “Composting 101”: https://georgianbaybiosphere.com/gardens/

The Biosphere’s community calendar: https://georgianbaybiosphere.com/events/     

The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve website: https://georgianbaybiosphere.com/

Citations

Urine and Soil Study

Rumeau, M., Pistocchi, C., Ait-Mouheb, N., Marsden, C., & Brunel, B. (2024). Unveiling the impact of human urine fertilization on soil bacterial communities: A path toward sustainable fertilization. Applied Soil Ecology, 201, 105471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105471

Follow the Biosphere On Social Media

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gbtownship/ 

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GBayBiosphere 

Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? 

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Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com 

Credits

Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin

Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays

License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH

Timestamps

00:12 Intro

00:47 Meet Delaina Arnold of the Georgian Bay Biosphere

01:50 What is the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve?

05:08 Why Home Composting Matters: Landfills, Methane, and Soil

09:09 The Seguin & Township of Georgian Bay Kitchen to Compost Pilot Project

11:33 Myths about Home Composting: Wildlife, Stirring, and What to Add

14:47 What if You Don’t Turn Your Compost? Erin’s Dirty, Little Secret

16:35 Where to Locate Your Compost Bin: Sun, Drainage, and Access

18:14 Choosing Your Compost Bin

20:09 Pick a Cute Countertop Compost Container

22:30 Composting Tips

23:27 Composting Troubleshooting

25:15 Wildlife Problems with Compost

29:19 Fact Check: Adding Urine to Compost

32:20 Brown Materials You Can Add

34:05 Can You Add Garden Clippings to Your Compost Bin? 

37:45 Resources and Contact for the Georgian Bay Biosphere

39:30 Outro and Contact Us