IDAHO SPRINGS
The Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District and Scraps-to-Soil team up to host the annual Pumpkin SMASH, Nov. 1 from noon-4 p.m., a fun filled day designed to recycle pumpkins and bring awareness to composting and other community-minded sustainability solutions in a fun and engaging setting.

Held at the Idaho Springs Baseball Field, the free, family-friendly event  features several ways to smash pumpkins among other games, contests and activities. There is also food, drinks and other vendors. Be sure to bring any spent Jack-o-Lanterns for “smashing fun.” There will also be pumpkins for sale.

“The Pumpkin SMASH is our one last hurrah before winter rolls in, and the festivities revolve around smashing jack-o-lanterns and old pumpkins to prepare them for composting and bypass the waste stream,” Scraps-to-Soil board member Brandi Murphy said. “We see the event as a fun and engaging way to bring about awareness to composting, waste issues, and other sustainability solutions to consider on a community scale.  We love how this event serves as a forum for area residents and businesses to connect with each other, offering opportunities to organize and orchestrate organic objectives.”

Scraps-to-Soil holds the Pumpkin SMASH each year after Halloween to explore composting and ways to contribute less to the waste stream. Participants get “hands-on” with various techniques for pulverizing pumpkins, including the Gallagher mallets, Louisville Sluggers, the Trebuchet launcher and SlingShot.

“The trebuchet launcher was built by a resident of Clear Creek County, Paul Crain, and he is kind enough to bring it to the event and help operate it every year,” Murphy said. “The launcher is very popular, as well as the slingshot and the Gallagher mallets. The Smash Hammer is a favorite, but we think it’ll have to sit this year out while we give it some maintenance and make sure its safe.”

New this year, the event features the First Annual Scraps-to-Soil Sustainability Science Fair. The group is looking for grassroots ideas in support of sustainable living and entries that show innovative ideas on how to maintain current systems like energy, food, natural areas and waste and develop an innovative idea on  how to make the system more sustainable.

An innovation must conserve or regenerate resources used at a rate that is equal to or greater than consumption. In addition to the fun and education, there are prizes including a cash grand prize to help develop the idea. E-mail Scraps-to-Soil for details on how to enter, and watch the Scraps-to-Soil, Neighborhood Compost Club facebook page for more information.

“The Sustainability Fair is taking the SMASH to another level.” Murphy said. “We want to get people talking and thinking about how they can live sustainably, how they can make changes to live their ideals, how we can collaborate to find solutions to problems and answers to questions. We can’t wait to see how our neighbors and friends are incorporating innovative ideas into their lives.”

The event is run by volunteers. To lend a hand or help with the planning and preparation, e-mail Scraps-to-Soil.

The Idaho Springs Baseball Fields are located at 101 Idaho Springs Road. E-mail info@scraps-to-soil.org or visit scraps-to-soil.org and www.clearcreekrecreation.com for more information.

Originally published in the October 2015 issue of the MMAC Monthly.