7:30 AM AT METRO ZOO, September 19, 2009

As we approached in the wee morning hours we knew we had to act fast before the massive thunder cells that greeted us unleashed their downpour -- Photo by Maggie; Inspirational Words by Eddie (including 'wee')

As this Saturday morning progresses, Metro Zoo's Compost Guru Randy Pawlak operates a backhoe as we follow him to a remote area of the Zoo...Randy supervises the dung mounds and monitors their temperature changes to determine when they become suitable for use as compost. TROY hereby thanks Metro Zoo's Horticulture Supervisor, Tom Trump, for today's donation. Check out the Miami Herald's recent coverage of the Zoo's composting operation how the herbivores at the Zoo are helping to minimize their carbon footprints http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1146848.html

Compost mounds at Miami's Metro Zoo

When it comes to compost piles, Metro Zoo is not kidding around...in a remote field on the grounds of the zoo, Randy has several piles of composting elephant dung as well as other piles which contain mixtures of mulch, tree branches, leaves, and dung from various herbivores at Metro Zoo; it's a highly organized operation; according to Randy, during the breakdown phase, the mounds can reach temperatures between 120-160 degrees farenheit; Randy knows a mound is ready for use as compost when it reaches a temperature closer to 90 degrees farenheit

The first load of composted elephant dung contains some of last year's hurricane debris, says Randy, but once we begin to unload it at TROY, we will be able to remove that, to keep the compost free of any non-biodegradeable materials that would harm our plants and garden beds

Randy loads the truck w/ a 2nd type of compost (a mix of high-grade elephant & other dung, bark/mulch, & other biodegradeables)

Randy uses a pitchfork to pack in the elephant dung neatly into the truck bed so that it doesn't spill out...Randy tells us that the county's lab is currently testing the dung to determine its grade...so far, the non-scientific accounts are that the stuff is AMAZING!!!!

The weather today was hot, muggy and wet...the elephant dung was soaked and weighted down; here, founder of TROY, Circuit Court Judge Tom Peterson (left) and volunteer, Albert (right), begin the daunting task of unloading the truck bed full of the nutrient-rich elephant dung :o)