Featuring Dr. Eva Stricker of University of New Mexico

Eva Stricker is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico Department of Biology and a part-time Evaluator for the Santa Fe-based regenerative agriculture non-profit the Quivira Coalition. Dr. Stricker grew up in New Mexico, received her BA from Colgate University, received her Masters from the University of Washington School of Forest Resources, and her PhD from the UNM Biology. She has expertise in plant-soil interactions and biogeochemistry in drylands, use of organic waste as a management tool for restoring degraded dry rangelands, and inquiry-based, equity-focused education for adult learners. She has mentored over 15 undergraduate research and outreach projects, including several that resulted in peer-reviewed publication and/or presentation at regional and national conferences. Eva is the former director of Quivira Coalition’s Carbon Ranch Initiative where she oversaw over 50 educational workshops on working ranches across the intermountain west. She is passionate about using conflict communication skills to better educate students and help land stewards make decisions that balance economic, social, and ecological resources and challenges.

Composting and biochar production are waste valorization technologies that can contribute to climate change mitigation and soil conservation practices. Co-composting or other means of integrating these processes is both promising and complex.  Biochar utilization can reduce emissions and nutrient loss during the composting process and improve the quality of the finished compost. Compared to "raw" biochar, co-composted biochar may also display enhanced properties that are beneficial for soil health. 

This talk will provide an overview of biochar co-composting, integration of biochar into compost at the industrial scale, and current research on the topic. Specifically, the effects of biochar on the biochemical reactions characterizing the composting process and mechanisms of interaction will be discussed. Literature and studies relating to the quantification of the effects of biochar on compost emissions, nutrient loss, and microbial communities will also be presented. Caveats of biochar addition to composting will be covered, particularly relating to process logistics and traditional metrics (and techniques) for the evaluation of compost quality.

Veronica Crow is a PhD candidate in Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University. Her research focuses on biochar redox properties and interactions between biochar and biological systems. She is currently conducting bench-scale in-vessel composting studies to measure the effects of biochar on compost emissions and material properties, as well as batch and semi continuous anaerobic digestion experiments to better understand the mechanisms by which certain biochars can enhance methane production. She works in the Bioproducts and Bioenergy research group led by Dr. Manuel Garcia-Perez.