Grupo de Trabalho de Resíduos Sólidos - GTRS
Conselho da APA Federal da Serra da Mantiqueira - CONAPAM
Leia o original em português
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Introducing decentralized composting in Delfim Moreira, MG
Meeting with students of the State High School and evaluation (and expansion) of the use of composters in two neighborhoods


In the morning of August 25, 2016 a meeting was held at the State High School Visconde de Sapucai, attended by about 120 young people and several teachers related to environmental issues - and the School's principal, Stela Mara, the local Secretary of Agriculture and Environment, and volunteers from the
Working Group on Solid Waste of the Federal EPA (Environment Protection Area) da Mantiqueira Advisory Council - GTRS-CONAPAM.

This meeting was the result of the partnership proposal to the School by the municipal Department of Agriculture and  Environment and by the
GTRS-CONAPAM team, with the objective of coordinating the participation of students in environmental initiatives in their communities, especially the project to introduce domestic and community composting in Delfim Moreira.


A courtyard view of the State High School
View of Delfim Moreira from the State High School

The proposal gives priority to the creation of a "socioenvironmental club of practices", which will give opportunity to young people to develop skills that will be very useful in their future, when they will need to govern the region without our help.

Three activities were proposed to be developed by the students together with educators and communities:
  1. Support for the dissemination of decentralized composting in the districts of Delfim Moreira
  2. Monitoring water quality consumed by the population, from the springs to treatment and residence consumption.
  3. Liquid bio-fertilizer production from cattle manure (project already accomplished a year ago, with great results).

Above, teacher Ana Maria Paiva, High School's supervisor, talks to the students about the proposal to developing projects and  capabilities together.
Below, teacher Aline exposes the biofertilizer production project, which has been held in the School with pedagogical and environenmtal success. Teacher Marcelo invites young people interested to conduct a study of water consumed in the city, from its origin , collection, treatment, discharge, consumption, and the physical, chemical, biological, economic, etc. aspects.



Below, volunteer Joaquim Moura from the CONAPAM Working Group on Solid Waste, explains the installation and use of a composter made of welded wire mesh, to turn household waste into natural fertilizer.
He also explained how a "club of practices" will help them improve their future and the local sustainability of their communities.


The next meeting will be in mid-September, and until then the students will begin to organize the 'club'.
To encourage membership to the club and organize the participation, an invitation miniposter and an application form were prepared.



Na parte da tarde
, foi realizada uma oficina de demonstração da prática da compostagem para moradores de Caquende, o novo bairro-piloto do projeto.


Above left, the GTRS-CONAPAM volunteer Luis Armondi cuts a donated wire mesh roll. A local company donated two rolls, that allow cutting 26 composters (180 cm circumference and 57 cm diameter). Each roll costs R$ 450 (US$ 150).
On the right,  after watching the demonstration of how to use wire mesh composters, the first group of interested local residents received (by 'loan') their composters. If someone gives up using it, the composter must be returned to the project to be used by another person.
In the center of the photo, the mayor of Delfim Moreira, Fernando Coura, who is supporting the project.



Next
, we visited the pilot-neighborhood Vila Rica, to assess how the composters lent in June are being used








Below, examples of external walls of houses whose dwellers participate in our urban composting project






Finally
we visited the Municipal School Filomena Peixoto Faria, to see how the pilot composter installed last March is succeeding. We perceived the composter is regularly receiving organic waste generated in the school kitchen, and the area around it is cleaner than before. The school garden is being expanded.