Registration is closed for 2022

However, we will be offering multiple sessions of a similar course throughout the year. It is called The 131° School's Compost Operator Certificate and will be open to students outside of VT as well. Pre-registration opens on 1/31!

Live Webinars January 20th, 27th, and February 3rd

Due to the continued challenge of planning large in-person gatherings, we will again be offering a fully remote version of the Vermont Compost Operator Certification Training in winter 2022. Hosted by Compost Technical Services, and presented by the VT Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), this workshop will provide participants with a Compost Operator Certificate, which meets the requirements of ANR for small, medium and large compost facility site operators. Current or future compost site operators will be certified to manage composting facilities handling food scraps or animal mortalities in Vermont. The training is a combination of pre-recorded presentations, review tests, and live webinars. The course is limited to Vermont residents and site operators working in the state and costs $30.
Register Here

Interested, but out-of-state? Please add your name to our contact list, we have a training in the works for you!

Thank You

Topics Covered Include:

  • Principles of Composting

  • Compost Recipe Development

  • Materials (Feedstocks) & Blending

  • Pile Construction

  • Pile Monitoring & Management

  • Trouble Shooting & Neighbor Relations

  • Storm Water & Leachate Management

  • Site & Operating Permit Requirements

Course Format

  • Asynchrinous Video Presentations

    View the majority of the coursework on your own schedule in a "flipped classroom" model. Materials will be released in two phases, leaving at least 2 weeks for completion.

  • Live Webinars

    We'll meet up three times via a livestream to review key topics and answer questions, and to join a virtual field trip to a compost facility.

  • Open Book Review

    Those wishing to have a State of Vermont recognized operator certification must pass an open book quiz for each unit. This is our insurance that you've done the work.

Instructors


  • Benjamin Gauthier - Vermont Agency of Natural Resources - Solid Waste Management Program


  • Guest Operator to be announced

Course Agenda

Note: The agenda is preliminary and subject to change.


January 3 – Release First Round of Course Content

Unit: One - Principles of Composting                                                

Format: Pre-recorded Video (30 Minutes)

 

Unit: Two – Compost Recipe, Feedstocks, and Blending               

 Format: Pre-recorded Videos (62 Minutes)

 

Complete By January 17: Units One and Two Review Quiz (30-60 Minutes) – Open Book

 

January 20: 10-12 pm - Live Webinar - James McSweeney and Ben Gauthier

  • Welcome
  • Unit One and Two Review and Questions

January 17 – Release Second Round of Course Content

Unit: Three – Pile Monitoring, Management, and Maturity            

Format: Pre-recorded Videos (50 Minutes)

 

Unit: Four – Troubleshooting and Neighbor Relations                       

Format: Pre-recorded Videos (45 Minutes)


Unit: 5 – Compost Site Maintenance and Stormwater Management 

Format: Pre-recorded Videos (25-35 Minutes)

Complete by January 31: Units Three, Four, and Five Review Quiz (30-60 Minutes) – Open Book


January 27: 1-3 pm - Live Compost Site Operator Discussion


February 3: 10-1 pm - Live Webinar - James McSweeney and Ben Gauthier

  • Unit Six – Regulations and Record Keeping
  • Units Three, Four, Five, and Six Review and Questions


Complete By February 7: Unit Six Review Quiz and Course Evaluations (20-30 Minutes) – Open Book

 


Contact us with questions

If you are a composter in Vermont and need help accessing this remote course, are facing financial hardship (need the fee waived), or have any other questions about the training, please reach out to:

James McSweeney

james (@) composttechnicalservices.com

(802) 224-6888

Presented By:

This course is made possible by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation Solid Waste Management Program.