Way to Go! West Babylon student creates compost bin for school
James Graham, an eighth-grader at West Babylon Junior High School, built a compost bin for the school's community garden.. Credit: West Babylon School District
A West Babylon student recently created an environmentally friendly gift for his school's community garden.
James Graham, an eighth-grader at West Babylon Junior High School, volunteered his time this past summer to construct two wooden compost bins for his school. He built the bins using recycled materials — such as leftover wood and scraps from his family's property — under the guidance of his father, James.
The compost bins, which are each 3 feet long, took about seven or eight hours to create, the eighth-grader said.
"I'm excited with how it turned out," said James, 12, who is a member of his school's Garden Club. "It started last year when I realized that every day we would get one to two wheelbarrows full of weeds, grass clippings and rotted fruits and vegetables. The bins will make fertile soil for our fruits and vegetables."
James said his father watched over him during the construction of the compost bins, particularly when he used power tools — such as a chop saw. He also said he hopes to create another compost bin later this year for his family's home.
"I care about the environment and how we have to take care of it," James said.
James is also a member of school's golf and tennis teams, and last school year he served as treasurer of his school's Student Council.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
