Wednesday, December 21, 2011

2012 Organic Land Care Accreditation Course

The Northeast Organic Farming Association's Organic Land Care (NOFA OLC) Program is planning the 2012 Accreditation Course and we would really like to get the word out to school grounds employees, especially those in Connecticut who are having trouble adjusting to the state's pesticide ban at schools.

The Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care is for any land care professional or enthusiast to learn the ecology of residential yards or municipal and school grounds and to learn how to care for these spaces using sustainable and safe products and methods. The course is ten years old, has taught over 1200 students, and there are currently about 550 Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs) bringing this expertise to their jobs as landscapers, groundskeepers, conservationists, planners, garden center employees and a number of other fields.

We hope to continue to recruit a variety of students who can apply these lessons in their towns and professional field anywhere in the country.
With the growing concern about the serious health threats pesticides can pose to adults, children and animals, more individuals, families and communities are looking to go organic as are entire municipalities. It is important to equip grounds employees with this knowledge of organics if the policies in their town change.

The course dates and locations are as follows:

January 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA

February 15, 16, 17, 21, 22
The Connecticut Agricultural Station-New Haven Laboratory
New Haven, CT

February 27, 28, 29, March 1, 2
Kettle Pond Visitor Center
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge
Charlestown, RI

For more information please visit http://www.organiclandcare.net/education/accreditation-course or call our office (203)888-5146. I have also attached the formal press release and course brochure for more information.

Monday, December 19, 2011

NMSU working with school districts to implement integrated pest management programs

Schools, like many other buildings, can suffer pest problems. Insects, such as flies and cockroaches, can spread disease or trigger allergic reactions, while vertebrates like mice may cause structural damage or contaminate food.

But sometimes the removal of the pest can be as serious as the health risk. Because children are more sensitive to pesticides than adults, people concerned with providing a healthy environment for students often wonder if there is a better way to control pests in schools.

The answer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is for schools to use integrated pest management, a common-sense combination of strategies that offers safe and effective pest management for schools. Full article.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

December School IPM 2015 eNewsletter

The December School IPM 2015 eNewsletter features the following articles: Building Out Pests, Pest Presses Provide a Wealth of Information, and Parents: Become an Advocate for IPM in your Child’s School.

http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015/Dec11_eNewsletter.htm

If you have not done so already, please consider signing up for the monthly School IPM 2015 newsletter mailing list to:
  • Learn how you can reduce pesticide use and pest complaints by more than 70%!
  • Create a successful IPM program with no long-term increase in pest management costs.
  • Learn strategies for managing pests all year:
    • Fall – stinging insects
    • Spring – ants
    • New pests – bed bugs
  • Improve your ability to educate and gain cooperation from key staff including maintenance, custodial and food service.
Signing up is easy. Email your name and contact information to: newsletter@schoolipm2015.com

Friday, December 9, 2011

Announcement Regarding the 2012/2013 Pest Management Alliance Grant Program

The Department of Pesticide Regulation's (DPR's) 2012/2013 Pest Management Alliance Grant solicitation will be distributed the first week of January 2012.

DPR’s Pest Management Alliance Grant Program will provide a total of
$400,000 in funding for projects that increase implementation and adoption of proven, effective integrated pest management (IPM) practices that reduce pesticide risks to human health and the environment.

A key component of these projects is the formation of an Alliance, a team of individuals representing state, local, public, private, educational, and other stakeholders that directs the adoption and implementation of urban and agricultural IPM practices.

The grant application process involves two steps: an initial concept phase and a proposal phase. Concepts are concise descriptions of the Alliance project describing project goals and objectives, team members, target audience for outreach, and methods of measuring project success.
DPR staff score and rank concepts, inviting those with the highest ranked concepts to develop a proposal. The proposal is an expansion of the concept and should provide a detailed scope of work, identify measures of project success, and secure commitments from team members.

Projects should focus on adoption and implementation of agricultural or urban IPM practices in these suggested priority areas:
● Ensuring worker health and safety
● Improving ground and surface water quality
● Structural pest management
● Home garden and landscaping
● Protecting endangered species
● Reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions

Concepts are due within 4 weeks of solicitation distribution.
Applicants invited to develop a proposal will have approximately 7 weeks to complete and submit their proposal.

Now is the time to start thinking about a potential grant project and the individuals you may want to include in an Alliance.

If you know groups or individuals that may be interested in applying for a Pest Management Alliance Grant, we encourage you to pass on this information.

For additional information on the Pest Management Alliance Grant Program and to view past funded projects, please visit <http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/dprgrants.htm>. To view the previous year’s solicitation, please visit <http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pestmgt/grants/solicitation.htm>.

If you have any questions, please contact Ann Schaffner at 916-324-4156.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Who is Your 2012 Healthy Schools Hero?

Contact: Ellie Goldberg, M.Ed., healthykids@rcn.com . Attn: Science educators, STEM advocates, professionals in public health, school health, IAQ, IPM, health and safety, lab safety, school security, emergency and risk management, asthma educators, first responders, school administrators, nurses, advocates, parents and students.

Who is Your 2012 Healthy Schools Hero?

Do you know someone whose sense of responsibility, inspirational leadership, and exemplary persistence and courage protects children from school hazards and unhealthy school conditions?

Send your hero's name, email/phone #,
and your hero's story by February 15, 2012
to Ellie Goldberg at healthykids@rcn.com

March 18 2012 is the 75th anniversary of the 1937 Texas School Explosion. Let's make March 18 an annual day to bring the lessons of the 1937 Texas School Explosion to your community and to celebrate the leadership for safety that can save lives.

The 1937 Texas School Explosion was the worst school disaster in American history. It was a gas explosion that killed more than 300 people, mostly students, just minutes before the end of the day in their new state-of-the-art public school. No expense had been spared except when it came to safety.

Lessons Learned. Lives Saved. The Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero Award, announced in anticipation of March 18 each year, was created as an annual opportunity to inspire leadership and partnerships to protect children from the chemical hazards and unhealthy conditions in today's schools. Read about Heroes 2011 - 2005

Send your 2012 hero's name, contact information, and your hero's story by February 15, 2012 to Ellie Goldberg at healthykids@rcn.com

More at

Effective Policies to Reduce Exposures to Pesticides in Schools

To promote a national framework for the prevention of chemical incidents in schools, ICTW has teamed up with ATSDR to bring you the third of four webinars that explore policies to reduce exposures to chemicals in schools. In this webinar you’ll hear about
•which states have enacted policies to reduce pesticide use in schools,
•the types of pesticide incidents seen in California school settings,
•EPA’s School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program,
•the need for a more precautionary approach.

Presenters
 Janet Hurley, School IPM Program Specialist, Texas
 Michel Oriel, Research Scientist, CA Department of Pesticide Regulation
 Sherry Glick, National School IPM Expert, US EPA
 Jay Feldman, Executive Director, Beyond Pesticides

Connection Information Meeting Number: 575 394 310 Meeting Password: ICTW You must connect to this webinar via the internet and teleconference.
1.Go to https://cdph-ooa.webex.com/cdph-ooa/j.php?ED=180942717&UID=1248064847&PW=NYjYxMWE4NzAy&RT=MiM0
2.If requested, enter your name and email address.
3.If a password is required, enter the meeting password ICTW and click "Join".
4.Call-in toll-free to 1-866-745-1015 and enter attendee access code: 962 195 6 For assistance during the call go to https://cdph-ooa.webex.com/cdph-ooa/mc and click "Support“ on the navigation bar. For more information before the call, contact Lori.Copan@cdph.ca.gov

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

2012 National Conference on Urban Entomology (NCUE)

The 2012 NCUE conference that will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center in Atlanta, GA from May 21-23, 2012. Nomination forms for the Distinguished Achievement Award and student scholarship information are now available. For more information, please visit the NCUE website or email Laura Nelson of Texas A&M University.

7th International IPM Symposium 2012 – Awards Nominations Due December 15

The 7th International IPM Symposium, "IPM on the World Stage—Solutions for Global Pest Challenges," will be held March 27–29, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee USA at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/

International IPM Achievement Awards
The organizers of the 7th International IPM Symposium are seeking nominations for the "Achievement in IPM Awards". Deadline for nominations is December 15, 2011. Nominations are open to individuals, organizations, or companies practicing in agricultural, urban and natural settings and worthy of recognition for implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) and innovative approaches to reduced-risk pest management.

Anyone may nominate another individual, organization or business, and self-nominations are accepted. Individuals or teams will be considered and nominations of commodity groups, private organizations, non-profit organizations, consultants, growers, and municipalities are encouraged.

Award nominations must be submitted using the online nomination form available at http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/index.cfm?page=AchievementAwards.

Call for Poster Abstracts
The online submission form for the call for poster submissions is open. This is a great way to share your projects and research with your colleagues.
Abstracts must be submitted using the online submission form available at
http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/index.cfm?page=posters

Submission deadline is Monday, January 9, 2012.

Sponsors, Contributors and Exhibitors
Corporations, agencies and other organizations with interests in IPM are invited to provide financial support to the Symposium. Your support is critical to the networking and collaboration this event facilitates, increasing IPM adoption and benefits to health, economics, and the environment. For more information, contact Brenna Wanous, Finance and Exhibits Committee co-chair, at 307-460-9578 or bwanous@uwyo.edu.

Special Invitation for Regional Meetings, IPM-Related Programs, and Informal Conferences
To save travel costs, take advantage of the opportunity to schedule meetings for your group or organization before the symposium on Sunday, March 25 or Monday, March 26 or after the symposium on March 29 or 30. Facilities have been reserved to accommodate such meetings. Several groups have already asked for space.

Meeting rooms are also available in the evenings during the event for informal conferences.

To reserve space for your group, please send an e-mail to ipmsymposium@ad.uiuc.edu by December 15, 2011. Please include the name of the group, date and time desired, anticipated number of attendees, and preferred meeting room setup. For informal conferences, please include a brief proposal along with your request that will be reviewed by the program planning committee. The room rental fees will be covered by the IPM Symposium. Any food or audio-visual costs will be the responsibility of the meeting group.

There is a limited amount of space, so space will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Senior Environmental Employment (SEE) Program Vacancy at U.S. EPA in Chicago

The U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs has designated verifiable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools as a top priority for this fiscal year. As a result, we have a new SEE program position in the Pesticides Section for an IPM Specialist. The SEE Enrollee will work with me to expand the adoption of IPM in schools throughout Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI). In the new position, the SEE enrollee

** Visits schools and school districts; meets with administrators, building managers, teachers and parents, and other interested parties to advance SIPM; carries out SIPM assessments (or “walk-throughs”) to identify needed actions; and offers technical assistance as needed to school staff members.

** Verifies SIPM, using a five-part rubric, in participating schools and school districts, and tallies the number of children covered by verified SIPM programs in Region 5.


** Responds to public inquiries by phone, by e-mail or in meetings about SIPM, answering questions, and providing and/or referring to appropriate resource materials to those who ask.

The Senior Environmental Employment (SEE) program is a special enrollment program that enables EPA to provide work to qualified persons who are 55 or more years of age. The ideal candidate for this position will have a bachelors degree in biology, chemistry, education, civil or environmental engineering or any related discipline (pertinent experience can be substituted for the college degree). We are looking for someone with experience in IPM, pest control, or building/facilities management (and a plus if related to schools).

This position is 32 or 40 hours per week, and will involve both local and overnight travel.

If you are aware of somebody who might be interested in this opportunity, please pass this message along, using your network of colleagues and contacts. Anybody interested in this position should see the vacancy announcement on the NAPCA website:

http://www.napca.org/?q=node/33 (scroll down to positions in Chicago, IPM Specialist)

Please direct resumes and questions to NAPCA here in Chicago at:

napcachicago@sbcglobal.net

NAPCA SEE Region V Project Director
122 South Michigan, Suite 1414
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 913-0979
Fax: (312) 913-0982

Monday, November 21, 2011

The Virtual School Walkthrough Webinar

Learn to diagnose your school’s IAQ issues
The Virtual School Walkthrough Webinar: Identifying and Solving Common IAQ Problems
Friday, December 9, 2011, 1–2:30 p.m. EST.

Register today for this free webinar by visiting:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/345795698

Speakers:

· Richard Prill, Building Science and Indoor Air Quality Specialist, Washington State University

· David Blake, Environmental Specialist/ Indoor Air/ Asbestos, Northwest Clean Air Agency

Facilitator:

· Jennifer Lemon, Indoor Environments Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Attend this webinar to:

· Gain insight on how to identify potential IAQ issues before they become major problems for your school community.

· Learn when and how to take, interpret and use IAQ-related measurements to determine the condition of your school buildings.

· Discover tools and resources your school can use, including checklists within the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit, to conduct a thorough and effective walkthrough investigation.

· Learn the importance of prioritizing IAQ issues and the power of effective communication when responding to reports and concerns.

· Hear about Dave and Rich’s follow up webinar on IAQ measurements and testing, which will be held in January 2012.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Encourage your state department of education to participate in Green Ribbon Schools!

The U.S. Department of Education (U.S. ED), with the assistance from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), recently launched Green Ribbon Schools. This is the first comprehensive and coordinated federal award program that encompasses three institutional roles of schools related to environmental impact and energy efficiency, healthy environments, and environmental literacy.

How to Bring Green Ribbon Schools to Your State:

Schools must be nominated by their state departments of education. Contact your state department of education if you would like to inquire about the application process in your state or to confirm whether your state plans to nominate schools.

If a state does not nominate schools, U.S. ED cannot select any Green Ribbon Schools in that state. Green Ribbon Schools has asked state departments of education to notify U.S. ED by November 22, 2011, of their plans to participate by nominating schools.

For more information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools.

This recognition award aims to prompt state education authorities and school communities to take action on the following:

· Energy and resource conservation measures that provide opportunities for cost savings and job creation.

· Environmental and behavioral changes to promote health and productivity among students, staff and other occupants.

· The use of environmental and sustainability education to support students’ preparedness for some of the nation’s fastest growing employment sectors.

EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools guidance is prominently featured as one of the recommended resources that schools can use to help meet the award criteria. Information on EPA’s guidance for creating healthy school indoor environments can be found on the IAQ Tools for Schools website.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

November School IPM 2015 eNewsletter

The November School IPM 2015 eNewsletter features the following articles: Building Out Pests, Environmentally Conscious Schools Receive a Green Ribbon, and EPA Releases School Siting Guidelines.

http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015/Nov11_eNewsletter.htm


If you have not done so already, please consider signing up for the monthly School IPM 2015 newsletter mailing list to:
  • Learn how you can reduce pesticide use and pest complaints by more than 70%!
  • Create a successful IPM program with no long-term increase in pest management costs.
  • Learn strategies for managing pests all year:
    • Fall – stinging insects
    • Spring – ants
    • New pests – bed bugs
  • Improve your ability to educate and gain cooperation from key staff including maintenance, custodial and food service.
Signing up is easy. Email your name and contact information to: newsletter@schoolipm2015.com

Monday, November 14, 2011

7th International IPM Symposium 2012 – Call for Poster Abstracts

The 7th International IPM Symposium, "IPM on the World Stage—Solutions for Global Pest Challenges," will be held March 27–29, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee USA at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/

Call for Poster Abstracts
The online submission form for the call for poster submissions is open. This is a great way to share your projects and research with your colleagues.

Abstracts must be submitted using the online submission form available at

http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/index.cfm?page=posters

Submission deadline is Monday, January 9, 2012.

International IPM Achievement Awards

The organizers of the 7th International IPM Symposium are seeking nominations for the "Achievement in IPM Awards". Nominations are open to individuals, organizations, or companies practicing in agricultural, urban and natural settings and worthy of recognition for implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) and innovative approaches to reduced-risk pest management.

Anyone may nominate another individual, organization or business, and self-nominations are accepted. Individuals or teams will be considered and nominations of commodity groups, private organizations, non-profit organizations, consultants, growers, and municipalities are encouraged.

Award nominations must be submitted using the online nomination form available at http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/index.cfm?page=AchievementAwards. Deadline for nominations is December 15, 2011.

Sessions
The Program Committee will be finalizing the program in the next few weeks. Watch the website for updates.

Sponsors, Contributors and Exhibitors
Corporations, agencies and other organizations with interests in IPM are invited to provide financial support to the Symposium. Your support is critical to the networking and collaboration this event facilitates, increasing IPM adoption and benefits to health, economics, and the environment. For more information, contact Brenna Wanous, Finance and Exhibits Committee co-chair, at 307-460-9578 or bwanous@uwyo.edu.

Special Invitation for Regional Meetings, IPM-Related Programs, and Informal Conferences
To save travel costs, take advantage of the opportunity to schedule meetings for your group or organization before the symposium on Sunday, March 25 or Monday, March 26 or after the symposium on March 29 or 30. Facilities have been reserved to accommodate such meetings. Several groups have already asked for space.

Meeting rooms are also available in the evenings during the event for informal conferences.

To reserve space for your group, please send an e-mail to ipmsymposium@ad.uiuc.edu by December 15, 2011. Please include the name of the group, date and time desired, anticipated number of attendees, and preferred meeting room setup. For informal conferences, please include a brief proposal along with your request that will be reviewed by the program planning committee. The room rental fees will be covered by the IPM Symposium. Any food or audio-visual costs will be the responsibility of the meeting group.

There is a limited amount of space, so space will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.