Compost Awareness Week: Nurturing the Earth with Nature’s Alchemy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
May 6, 2022
Dearest reader,
This week, we celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), a vital annual event that promotes the art and science of composting.
From May 1st to May 7th, 2025, communities worldwide will come together to celebrate composting’s many benefits—from transforming organic waste into nutrient-rich soil to supporting sustainable gardening and healthy ecosystems.
The theme for 2022, "Recipe for Regeneration: Compost", reminds us that composting is not just a backyard chore but a powerful act that unites neighborhoods, urban gardeners, farmers, and industries. It nurtures soils that grow our food, conserves natural resources, and reduces landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Throughout the week, schools, governments, and organizations host workshops, giveaways, tours, and educational events to inspire participants to start or expand their composting practices. Imagine the hidden life beneath your compost pile—the rich microbial world working diligently to turn scraps into gold for your garden beds.
So, dear gardener, have you considered what kitchen scraps, garden clippings, or fallen leaves might teach you about cycles of renewal?
Could a compost bin in your yard or community be the starting point for deeper connection—to the earth and to each other?
Compost awareness week encourages us to embrace the humble soil-building process that is key to lush gardens, vibrant plants, and resilient ecosystems.
May this week inspire you to nurture soil as passionately as you tend your blooms.
