Lately with Park City Composting, the 8th graders have been learning how to measure and record different properties of the compost pile such as temperature, porosity, weight, bulk density. The students compared their results from past weeks and were asked to analyze the causes that may have played a role in these changes. Some examples included; the high activity of the actinobacteria caused more of the compost material to breakdown and released more heat into the pile, the breakdown of the material caused the pile to condense more thus reducing the porosity and much more. After data was recorded from the initial compost pile (also referred to as the Thermophilic pile) students were then introduced to the tumbler (also known as the Mesophilic pile). Students were asked to try to identify the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of having each type of pile. They concluded that the tumbler is great for people who don’t have a lot of space for a traditional compost pile such as on an apartment balcony or small backyard. The traditional compost pile is ideal for those with the available space. In addition, the tumbler stays at lower temperatures than the traditional compost pile. Therefore, both types of composting methods are suitable for different situations and utilize different types of bacteria. We are excited to see the quality of compost these two different methods will produce, which will be used to help mend the school garden.