Christopher Brown Eagle Scout Project

My name is Christopher Brown and I am a Boy Scout in Troop 457 on Mercer Island, Washington.

My Eagle Scout project is to design and construct a three-bin composting system for the Mercer Island Saddle Club (MISC), a not-for-profit organization where horse lovers of all ages can learn to care for and ride horses. Fun Fact: I used to volunteer to clean stalls and remove ivy at MISC.

The goal of this project is to aid in MISC’s disposal of manure and educate the youth in the club about composting and the importance of environmentally sustainable practices in general. All money donated will go into the materials for this project and any excess will be donated to the club. Construction will begin as soon as the funds have been raised.

The Mercer Island Saddle Club

https://www.misaddleclub.org

MISC is stewarded by the Pioneer Park Youth Club on Mercer Island. MISC is situated on a historic spot and locals may recognize it for being right next to Sunnybeam School. Sunnybeam was built in 1918 as Lakeview School and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Our shared location is beloved by many in the community, and anyone is allowed to walk in and enjoy the space.

The specific spot and design for the bins has been chosen to make depositing manure and moving it with a tractor as convenient as possible without getting in the way of other club functions.

Compost Bins Benefits

• Currently, all manure produced by the horse stables is being disposed of by a private company at a big cost to the club. The new compost bins will help reduce some of that load and expense.

• Many children use the club to learn about horse riding and care and these compost bins will be a valuable resource to also teach them about sustainable practices and the environment.

• Compost generated will be given away to anyone interested including members of our local garden club.

Compost Bins Design

Three-bin compost systems are great for processing substantial amounts of manure. It will be made from heavy duty pressure treated wood. The posts will be sunk deep into the ground and held in place with concrete. The floors of each bin will be compacted “crushed gravel” with a steel I-beam running down the middle to prevent tractor buckets from digging below grade.

Manure from the stables is placed into the first of the three bins and collects over time while starting to decompose. When bin 1 is full it is moved and mixed via tractor to bin 2 for the mixture to be further broken down over time. When this stage is completed, the compost is moved and mixed into final bin 3 to await being given away.

The Saddle Club and I are very excited to make this dream come true, and your donation would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You!!

Christopher Brown

Life Scout, Troop 457