Algonquin Highlands
Composting in Bear Country
Yes, Algonquin Highlands is home to a population of black bears and while composting in bear country can be a bit tricky, it can be achieved without incident if you carefully follow certain guidelines. Below you'll find a number of tips and resources that can help you successfully compost in bear country.
Tips and Tricks
-
Do NOT add meat, fish, bones, dairy products, oil, cooked food, large amounts of fruit or unrinsed eggshells to your compost pile.
-
Balance the amount of "green" and "brown" materials in your compost pile. "Green" materials include items such as vegetable scraps, grass clippings, weeds and coffee grinds. "Brown" materials include items such as dry leaves, woodchips, pine needles and sawdust.
-
Periodically stir or poke your compost pile. This adds oxygen and helps to speed up the decomposition process.
-
Add wood ash or lime to your compost pile if it begins to smell in order to mitigate the odour.
-
Store food scraps in the freezer and compost them once black bears have gone into hibernation.
Sign up for News and Notices!
Keep up to date with everything happening in Algonquin Highlands by receiving regular updates to your inbox!