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?  Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon.  Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast 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