Garden Club Receives Donation

Zanker Disposal and Recycling Company (Z-Best Products), through the assistance of alumni Greg Ryan '88, and brothers Richard '61 and Barry Cristina '58, donated five cubic yards of organic recycled yard-waste compost to the Bellarmine Garden Club. The donation supports the club's philosophy to participate in renewal of the earth via recycling.

Science instructor, Patrick Adams, as well as Garden Club members, botany class students and Christian Service Program volunteers, gratefully accepted the donation on February 1st for use in the school's garden. "Although to some people it might seem like we were just unloading a dump truck full of rotting vegetation, this is a great chance for our garden project to participate in a process of renewal." explained Adams, who is also the faculty moderator of the Garden Club. "When yard clippings and tree trimmings are collected at the curbside, they are diverted from the landfill and turned into valuable nutrients for the soil in our garden. Composting reduces evaporation, improves drainage, eliminates the need for petrochemical fertilizers and enhances the environment for beneficial soil organisms. The support of Zanker Recycling and Z-Best Products means that we can produce more food for those in need while saving our modest budget for seeds, tools and other materials for the garden. By reducing waste and finding ways to turn trash into valuable resources, we can improve our environment and enhance our community."