Going Green
Caring for our animals at The Living Desert results in substantial amounts of waste, including manure from the animals, straw from their bedding, and food waste. Not only would all this waste require petroleum to transport and greatly add to our landfills, but the breakdown of these organic materials in landfills would produce methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide that is a significant contributor to climate change.
Composting is the art of using decomposition — a natural process — to create a soil amendment or mulch that is beneficial to plants. The Living Desert’s on-site compost machine, called a biodigester, is used by adding the organic waste along with wood chips, which are needed to provide an essential element to compost. The biodigester accelerates the composting process dramatically by mixing the materials and heating them to aid in the establishment of the bacteria that decompose the materials.
The end product of the composting process is notably smaller than the original volume. The Living Desert composts on- site because the high-quality soil amendment improves our gardens, removes carbon from the atmosphere, eliminates 24 truck traffic to the landfill, sequesters carbon in the soil, and significantly improves the root health of plants — all while reducing our garbage volume and our carbon footprint by turning animal waste into a valuable commodity.
Your donation supports The Living Desert’s innovative composting efforts, transforming animal waste into valuable soil amendments, reducing landfill contributions, and actively fighting climate change. Donate now to make a difference.