On May 3, work began in earnest on the redirection of greens waste in Hedley to the construction of a working compost pile- a Hugelbeet-which will be constructed over the next month and monitored as a new way to deal with the volumes of yard waste which are currently either hauled to the dump, illegally dumped up Twenty Mile Creek, or burned in backyard barrels. The best thing about a Hugelbeet is it is an immediate way to start building soil in an area which has been compromised by enormous piles of tailings, left over from the heydays of mining in Hedley.
Yesterday’s crew included Doug Bratt, as a driver, picking up bags of leaves throughout town. Shannon and Donna Gauvin used their muscles to load trailer after trailer of trees and branches up to the newly established yard waste sorting area.
Vickie Hansen worked to re-pile the waste which others had left before the Hugelbeet sorting area was really in production, since as organizers our biggest concern is that uninformed residents assume that the “old burn pile” is active again.
We were able to gather a great deal of the waste which was left out as the RDOS greens pick up was slated for Friday, May 4. Doug Bratt confirmed with the “garbage man” that he only got two or so bags of leaves, so we can congratulate ourselves on diverting an enormous amount from the landfill- thus reducing greenhouse gases- and working towards a healthier future for the families living here in Hedley.
We do ask that those of you who are able-bodied to shift the greens waste yourself- or offer to help with hauling when there is a truck nearby; there were lots of people who did not cut their branches down to a manageable size, and left enormous piles for the very gracious and giving volunteers to deal with. Though it is typical of human nature to take advantage of the kindness of others, this project is intended to build a new model of cooperation where people are actually accountable for their actions. We appreciate your vision and assistance in making this exciting project work for everyone.
- Angelique Wood