About Us @ www.mastercomposter.com™

Web Site History

I am a big supporter of environmental groups that save wildlife and natural spaces in various parts of the world. In my heart, I know that those groups are doing work that is vital to the well-being of the human race and they should be supported. But gradually it began to bother me that I was always sending money to a faceless "them" to save the world "over there" somewhere. I was focused on saving tigers and elephants and polar bears and other beautiful creatures that had nothing whatsoever to do with my day-to-day life. Paying others to do "the responsible thing" while I had only a financial involvement was not consistent with my self-image. I asked some important questions:

• Can I improve the environment without traveling halfway around the world to another continent?
• How can I improve the environment where I live?
• How can I impact the planet by acting here, now?

I am fortunate to belong to a generation which believes that we not only have the responsibility to change the world, but that each of us also has the power to do so. So I set out to educate others. I earned my Master Composter certificate, then my Master Composter Instructor certificate. Meanwhile, in 1997, I started building www.mastercomposter.com as a reference for my classes and others who wanted composting explained to them in accurate but simple terms. The web site caught on and quickly developed a strong, international following. Thousands utilized the web site each day to learn more about home composting and we were soon the premier resource for home composting information.

Many individuals, businesses and government agencies worked hard to get the word out on composting in the 90s and through the turn of the millenium. Awareness of composting is now common among home-owners, though participation is not yet pervasive. The number of compost-savvy households is growing every day, as many continue to teach compost's benefits. If every landowner managed his or her soil responsibly, the planet would be healthy.

Compost educators have changed the world for the better. We have increased awareness of Nature's cycle of life and death so that people know they can use productive options to process organic wastes. We have educated people regarding composting's numerous benefits to the environment in terms of soil health and structure, water quality improvement, removing material from the solid waste stream, and reduction in the need for harmful chemicals. By teaching composting to those whose time was previously occupied with video games, computers, and TVs, we have reintroduced a connection between the individual and Nature.

Now that a critical mass of knowledge about composting exists in the general population, there is increased demand for more customized instruction to individuals and small groups. Composters desire individual attention to their specific composting questions and issues. Our new format is structured to meet this demand. We welcome your feedback.

Mary Tynes
Web Site Editor

We have recently made major changes to the web site. Site visitors have expressed a desire to find information on their specific topic of interest in a class or publication, rather than searching through many pages of web site content. We are therefore moving our focus to teleclasses and publications on specific composting and gardening topics. However, most of our content is still available in the Subscriber Area of the web site. If you can't find a page that "used to be there", look in the Site Contents of the Subscriber Area of the site. If it is still available, it will be listed there with a link to the new page address.

For Local Programs and Teacher Resources, look in the NetLinks section.

Terms and Conditions of Use are found in the User Agreement

Use of any part of this site, or any of the related services including but not limited to Message Board, Search Engine, Surveys, FAQ, email, newsletter, etc., is governed by the User Agreement. By using this site and related services, you are deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions of use stated in the User Agreement. Read the User Agreement carefully and periodically review it for changes.

Links

You are welcome to link to our Home Page, NetLinks, or Message Board from your site, you do not need to contact us first. You may NOT link to any page in the Subscriber Area of the web site.

Copyright and Use of Our Materials

All aspects of this web site, including content, graphics and design, are copyrighted. The copyright belongs to Mary Tynes with the exception of the animated graphics which are copyrighted by Animation Explosion and are used with permission.

We expressly forbid the reproduction of any of our pages on other web sites. Please do NOT write to ask if you can reproduce this web site or any portion of this web site on another web site. The answer is NO.

If you would like to print and use any of our public web site pages for non-profit purposes and agree to include our copyright and web site address at the bottom of every page, we encourage you to contact us. "Non-profit purpose" is not limited to non-profit organizations. For example, a commercial business that wants to hand out compost instructions AT NO CHARGE and without requiring a purchase is usually considered a non-profit purpose. Please send your requests using this form or mail to

In your request, include the following information:

• You are a profit or a non-profit?
• Specific web address of the pages, photos, etc. which you are requesting to use. You can copy this address from the location bar at the top of your browser when the page you wish to use is displayed in your browser.
• How are you planning to use them, i.e., hand-outs, newsletter article, etc. If you are a for-profit, you must explain why you classify this use as a non-profit use.
• PLEASE NOTE: Requests not specifying this information will be denied. ALSO Do NOT write and ask for unlimited permission to reprint anything anytime you want. That request will be denied.

Participation on Our Site by Local Composting Organizations

The "Local Programs" and "Compost Education: Local" sections list web sites offering Master Composter programs, home composting training, compost demonstration areas, and compost programs by non-profit and for-profit organizations, subject to the approval of www.mastercomposter.com™. There is no charge for non-profit programs, an annual fee for for-profit businesses. See more information here. The local program is responsible for the accuracy of the data, as well as submitting timely updates as necessary.

Web Site Editor

Mary J. Tynes earned her Master Composter and Master Composter Instructor certificates from the State of Texas. Mary is assisted by Alexander the Great Dog, official mascot of www.mastercomposter.com and VP of Public Relations. From the linked photo you can access another photo that shows a "head shot" of Alex's beautiful face.

See old awards for the web site at our Awards page. I kept up with these when the site was new. After awhile, it wasn't worth the effort, but you can see our early awards if you like.