<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
</head>
<body>
We have cleaned many large specimens, primarily marine mammals, by burying them in manure. Luckily, the vet school horse barn is only about 1/2 mile from our manure bins. We've also gotten horse manure from the fairgrounds, which are also close by. The bins
are ~6'x6' with 4' high walls. When the bins are in use we place a large section of fence over the top and secure it. We built boxes out of 1cm hardware cloth to hold individual specimens. Large bones (whale skulls) may not need the hardware cloth box. Parts
with smaller bones, like flippers, are wrapped in screen to prevent loss. For all of these, we first lay down a good layer of manure and make every effort to have all parts completely covered by manure. It may settle, especially after a rain, and need a bit
more added. This system has worked very well with bones coming out of manure quite clean. After manure we just scrub bones with soap and water. It can take several months, at least, to clean larger specimens. But it is safe for the specimens and easy.
<br>
<br>
Lisa J. Gatens<br>
Curator of Mammals<br>
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences<br>
11 W. Jones St.<br>
Raleigh, NC 27601<br>
(919) 707-9946<br>
<br>
<br>
E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.<br>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex="-1">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Sheldon Teare <Sheldon.Teare@austmus.gov.au><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 10, 2019 4:59:51 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Watkins-Colwell, Gregory; nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [External] Re: [Nhcoll-l] compost</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<style>
<!--
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math"}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri}
p.x_MsoNormal, li.x_MsoNormal, div.x_MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif}
a:link, span.x_MsoHyperlink
{color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline}
a:visited, span.x_MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline}
p.x_msonormal0, li.x_msonormal0, div.x_msonormal0
{margin-right:0cm;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif}
span.x_EmailStyle18
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:black;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none}
span.x_EmailStyle19
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext}
span.x_EmailStyle20
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext}
.x_MsoChpDefault
{font-size:10.0pt}
@page WordSection1
{margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt}
div.x_WordSection1
{}
-->
</style>
<div lang="EN-AU" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div style="background-color:#00CCFF; width:100%; border-style:solid; border-color:#0099CC; border-width:1pt; padding:2pt; font-size:10pt; line-height:12pt; font-family:'Calibri'; color:black; text-align:left">
<span style="color:#FFFF00; font-weight:bold">CAUTION:</span> External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verified. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
<a href="mailto:report.spam@nc.gov" style="color:red">report.spam@nc.gov</a></div>
<br>
<div>
<div class="x_WordSection1">
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="">Hi,</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="">We cover our regular composting with a tarp and then a metal mesh cage. In Australia we are concerned about the compost becoming too dry – so we use the tarp to help limit that. We have noticed that drier sections of the
compost do not perform as well.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="">Our compost location is reasonably remote, which makes it difficult to for us to manually control the moisture in the heap.
</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="">We have wrapped parts of the specimen in landscape fabric so smaller bones don’t get lost.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="">I am not a fan of burial. I understand it is sometimes the only option. But I would always advocate for composting. Burial can have uncontrolled elements – materials, processes, drainage, chemistry of the soil, access/excavation.
You can have more control of what goes into your compost and better access.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="">Cheers,<br>
Sheldon</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Sheldon Teare</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Natural Sciences Conservator, Materials Conservation |
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Australian Museum Research Institute</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Australian Museum</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">
1 William Street Sydney NSW 2010 Australia </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">T</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">
61 2 9320 6419 <b>M </b>61 404 287 803 <b>F</b> 61 2 9320 6070</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"> </span><a href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/"><span style="font-size:1.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#1F497D; text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="155" height="72" id="x_Picture_x0020_1" style="width:1.6145in; height:.75in" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D4A98C.025C8380"></span></a><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt"><a href="http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=4062&d=9tah1ola45caCxmi3ja9yXMwt19uHfEmeZUSDDzbPA&s=978&u=https%3a%2f%2fwww%2efacebook%2ecom%2faustralianmuseum"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959">Facebook</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959"> | </span></b><a href="http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=4062&d=9tah1ola45caCxmi3ja9yXMwt19uHfEmecoRWm_eOg&s=978&u=https%3a%2f%2ftwitter%2ecom%2faustmus"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959">Twitter</span></b></a><span style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959"> <b>|</b> </span><a href="http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=4062&d=9tah1ola45caCxmi3ja9yXMwt19uHfEmeZFFDz3baQ&s=978&u=https%3a%2f%2finstagram%2ecom%2faustralianmuseum%2f%3fhl%3den"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959">Instagram</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959"> | </span></b><a href="http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=4062&d=9tah1ola45caCxmi3ja9yXMwt19uHfEmeccRWjiPbQ&s=978&u=https%3a%2f%2fwww%2eyoutube%2ecom%2fuser%2faustmus"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#595959">YouTube</span></b></a></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><i>I respect and acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Australian Museum stands</i></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none; border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt; padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm">
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Watkins-Colwell, Gregory<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, 11 January 2019 6:51 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] compost</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Just a quick question to all those who have composted larger specimens for skeletal prep.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">I’m wondering if anybody covers the compost pile with something like a tarp or maybe landscape fabric? What are the pros and cons of doing that?</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Greg</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">****************</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Collection Manager, Herpetology and Ichthyology</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Division of Vertebrate Zoology</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">170 Whitney Avenue, Box 208118</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">New Haven, CT 06520</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">USA</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Main Office: 203-432-3791; West Campus: 203-737-7568; Fax 203-432-9277</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">******************</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
</div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/landing/whales/"><img src="https://media.prelaunch.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/images/am_whales-email_signature.a36aaa4.0075fd9.jpg">
</a>
<p></p>
Click here to read the Australian Museum email disclaimer.
<p></p>
<a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/images/footer/disclaimer.htm">The Australian Museum email disclaimer</a>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>