The Pennsylvania Resources Council is back at it, and they're gearing up for a pretty busy month.
March is already scheduled to have half a dozen online, environmentally friendly, and informative workshops for western Pennsylvania residents looking to live a little more sustainably.
The first topic on the docket is composting.
In the PRC's "Backyard Composting" workshop, participants will learn the ins and outs of composting, including the "overall process, methods for setting up a compost pile, proper maintenance and ways to use finished compost."
Virtual classes will cost $70 but will cover the cost of new composting bins that can be picked up from the PRC headquarters on the North Side.
An appointment is required before coming in to receive your bin, though.
The workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, March 3, Thursday, March 11, Thursday, March 18, and Monday, March 22, all starting at 6:30 p.m. and running through 7:30 p.m.
In addition to the composting classes, people living in the Greater Pittsburgh area can also participate in a March 30 "Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel" webinar.
Interested people can even pick up a FreeGarden RAIN 55-gallon rain barrel at the Council's headquarters, same as the bins.
The course will run at $80, but it includes the price of the rain barrel.
As mentioned, the class is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, and it will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
If you're looking for something a little lighter on the wallet, PRC is also offering a free course on March 16: "Recycling & Waste Reduction".
As with the other classes, it'll run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
With the class, PRC is hoping to "answer common questions surrounding recycling issues such as curbside collection, hard-to-recycle material, and pharmaceutical disposal."
March's classes are all online, as you might've noticed by now.
The workshops were forced into a virtual format because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but PRC education specialist Nancy Martin hinted that it might have been a blessing in disguise.
"Since launching online learning in 2020, PRC has received a tremendous amount of feedback concerning how the webinar format is an extremely convenient way to learn from the comfort of home," said Martin.
"And the online format enables individuals throughout the Commonwealth to take part since webinars require no travel to a specific classroom location."
You can register for any or all of the classes on the PRC website.
Remember: preregistration is required for all the classes.