Overview
- Held Nov. 8 at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve in Will County, the annual event invited residents to smash post-Halloween pumpkins for composting.
- Roughly 100 pumpkins were collected in the first hour, and staff said they expected to surpass last year’s 183 total.
- After smashing, crews gathered shells and pulp for transport to compost piles so the material can break down and return to the soil within months.
- Preserve staff say pumpkins are about 90% water and contend that diverting them reduces landfill leachate that can carry contaminants into waterways.
- With no community composting program, organizers paired the drop-off with family activities — including free hot dogs, s’mores, a coffee truck and a campfire — to boost participation and promote home composting.