High-rise buildings are being dynamited.  Boulders bigger than our Bobcat (our mechanical compost critter) litter the ground. Mountains of rubble cover the landscape.  Kill deer birds squawk and soar through the noise and chaos.  Is this an apocalyptic scene from a faraway war torn town?  The aftermath of a natural disaster?  No, it’s the Phase 1 renovation and reconstruction of the south end of Governors Island.  

The debris of the former Coast Guard housing is transforming into the base layer of rolling hills that will ultimately provide eagle eye views of the NY skyline.  The massive stones are a revetment; part of the Island's reconstructed sea wall. The kill deer, although annoyed to distraction, are still hanging in there as is the Compost Learning Center, right in the middle of it all.  

What does the average high school student do after a long hard day of study and concentration?  Well, the above average kids trek out to the south end of Governors Island to cure oyster shells, build planting beds, collect eggs, feed and water chickens and a variety of other tasks at the Earth Matter Compost Learning Center. 

N.Y. Urban Assembly Harbor School sophomores Joshua Arreaga, Joshua Taliaferrow, Ezekiel Figueroa, and Exavier Figueroa intern at the Center on Thursdays after school.  Joshua A., the man with a plan, chooses to help out because he loves being on the Island and knows this experience brings added value to his resume.  The dynamic duo, Ezekiel and Exavier, both look forward to animal care duties.  And Joshua T. sums up his experience with the short but accurate statement, “It’s really hard work.”  
 
It is hard work, but nothing these highly motivated super stars can’t handle and it’s sure to pay off in the end.

Join Earth Matter this season at our new "outpost" Center located behind Building 12, close to Cornelius Chapel,  and  the new Brooklyn ferry terminal at Yankee Pier.  Because of massive construction on the south end of the island, our existing Compost Learning Center will be used for training programs, processing one ton of compost a week, and animal housing.  

But don’t worry, this summer it will all be happening at the outpost!  Take part in public hands workshops and activities and discover different composting devices. Meet and greet a rotation of composting animal representatives.  Participate in “sort your compost ingredients” game - do you know the difference between hay and straw? Help with data collection by counting worms hatching in the mini worm nurseries.  Learn which chicken is which and why some of our eggs are blue.  You can rest at the picnic table under the shade tree and sketch the flock, or pet our new ever curious kid goats Patches and Cream, while you eat a sandwich – at your own risk!

Our goal is for every visitor to leave the Center with a little more awareness of their impact on the natural world.  We hope guests will see how their actions can make positive improvements, even if it’s only feeding their food scraps to the animals, or stroking one of the precious live gifts nature has loaned us.  As Jon Meyers, COO of TGI describes the experience “Chickens and goats are the gateway drug into composting.”