Friday, April 29, 2011

New Webinar Opportunity for School Nurses

The American School Health Association is sponsoring the “Asthma Control: Are you doing YOUR Part? An Update for School Nurses in School-based Asthma Management,” being held Monday, May 16, 2011, from 2:30 to 3:30 EST.

The webinar will provide school nurses with information on the six guidelines-based priority messages from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's (NAEPP) Guidelines Implementation Panel (GIP) Report, as well as advances in school-based asthma management and techniques to overcome barriers to controlling asthma in the school setting.

To register for this exciting webinar and to learn more about the speakers, please click here.

Last Minute Applications for It's Time School Summit

TEA and ACTIVE Llife are extremely excited about the upcoming It’s Time School Summit: Bringing Together Coordinated School Health Champions.

June 20th & 21st 2011
Hilton Austin
500 East 4th Street
Austin, TX 78701

We are looking for innovative presentations that will provide our attendees with the tools and resources needed to enhance and expand their local coordinated school health initiatives. For more information on how to sign up to present, click here.

Presenter Applications are due by April 29, 2011 to be considered for inclusion.

Presenters will be notified by May 2, 2011 regarding the approval of their application.

Free Webcast - May 12: Safely Managing Chemical Spills and Disposal in the Educational Environment

Upcoming Webcast – Wednesday, May 11 at 12:00pm EST
Safely Managing Chemical Spills and Disposal in the Educational Environment

From the classroom to the custodial supply room, properly managing chemicals requires a proactive plan for safely containing and cleaning up chemical spills, both from accidents and deteriorating chemical containers.

Additionally, you must utilize a thorough chemical waste storage and disposal program that protects students, teachers, staff and the environment from the dangers of hazardous chemicals.

Join an interactive, 75-minute webcast to hear industry experts from the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association. Flinn Scientific and WC Environmental discuss best practices for managing chemical spills, from absorption and containment to cleanup and disposal. You will also learn fundamentals for safely storing chemical waste and properly disposing of chemicals that are spilled, old or unused.
Safely Managing Chemical Spills and Disposal in the Educational Environment
Wednesday, May 11
12:00pm-1:15pm EASTERN
Register Now!

The webinar will cover proven chemical safety standards and best practices that will help you:
• Identify and eliminate chemical spill hazards
• Properly contain and clean up chemical spills
• Safely store chemical waste prior to disposal
• Implement a chemical waste disposal program
• Create a culture of safety in managing chemicals
• Establish preventive maintenance activities to manage chemical safety over the long-term
• Educate administrators, maintenance/custodial staff, teachers and students

This is a webcast you can't afford to miss!
Register now at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1odnxctppo7j
Presenters are:
• Dave Waddell: President – North American Hazardous Materials Management Association
• Dr. Irene Cesa: Director of Technical Services – Flinn Scientific Incorporated
• Russ Phifer: Principal – WC Environmental, LLC
• Roger Young: Executive Director – K12Masters.com
• Justin Turner: Applications Specialist – SchoolDude.com

Click or copy and paste the below link into your internet browser to register:
https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1odnxctppo7j

This K12Masters.com webcast is sponsored by your friends at SchoolDude!
For additional resources on improving operations, visit www.schooldude.com/maintenance and
www.schooldude.com/pm.

Visit Roger Young's blog at http://www.k12masters.com/rogers-blog

Armadillos linked to leprosy in humans

Several years ago, an 81-year-old woman with a raised patch of dry skin on her arm visited Mississippi dermatologist John Abide, M.D.

Although the lesion looked only slightly abnormal, a series of lab tests revealed that it was a symptom of leprosy.

"I thought, 'Leprosy, are you kidding me?'" says Abide, whose practice is in Greenville. His surprise was understandable.

Each year only about 150 people in the U.S. are infected with leprosy, a bacterial disease that can lead to nerve damage and disfigurement. In most cases, people are infected after being exposed to saliva from an infected person, usually while traveling to parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia, where the disease is more prevalent.

But Abide's patient didn't fit this description. Full article.

Free Invasive Species Videos

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – “BugMobile vs. Invasive Species”, the popular video featuring a talking car taking on pests such as zebra mussels, purple loosestrife and Asian longhorned beetles, is now available for FREE for a limited time.

Geared toward lower and upper secondary students, the video addresses the several categories of Pennsylvania Academic Standards. The video also offers suggestions for managing invasive species using IPM.

Hosted and narrated by The BugMobile, the famous talking Volkswagen, the video identifies the effects of humans and human events on watersheds, explains species diversity, introduces species that are classified as pests in their new environment, and analyzes the benefits to the environment and society associated with alternative practices used in IPM.

The video can be used independently or coupled with a teacher-ready lesson plan with content objectives, assessment strategies and procedures. The lesson plan also includes pre and post-tests for the students to complete, discussion questions and suggests other related extension activities.

To obtain a free copy of the video and lesson plan, email the PA IPM program at paipm@psu.edu.

For more information on school IPM, see the PA IPM Program's Web site at http://extension.psu.edu/ipm/schools. The web site includes information on the school IPM effort in Pennsylvania and links to educational material from across the country. You can also download publications such as IPM for Pennsylvania Schools, A How-To Manual.

The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. For more information, see our web site at http://www.paipm.org.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Living with Wildlife

The University of Illinois Extension recently developed a "Living with Wildlife" website that features information on ticks and other health pests. For more information, please check out their website.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Bed Bug Presentations Available

Don Baumgartner of the US EPA, Region 5 has put together the following presentation resources. NOTE: At least one of the presentations is copyrighted, so be aware of that fact before you use slides individually.
Environmentally Healthy Bed Bug Management website.

Bed Bug Hotel Basic Brief (PDF) (17pp, 2M)
Bed Bug Early Detection (PDF) (47pp, 3M )
Bed Bugs Lodging Industry Response (PDF) (7pp, 302K)
Role of Lodging Staff (PDF) (7pp, 97K)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Managing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Leads to Green and Healthy Schools - Free meeting to be held in San Antonio, TX

Managing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Leads to Green and Healthy Schools - Free meeting to be held in San Antonio, TX

If you have not done so by now, please register for the May 12http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifth IAQ training session that is sponsored by EPA Tools for Schools and the Council of Educational Facilities Planners See the attached announcement from CEFPI. or go to http://www.cefpi.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4845


LADIES and GENTLEMEN!!!!!

ANNOUNCING THE 3RD ANNUAL TIPMAPS IPM SYMPOSIUM

AND

FIRST EVER FACILITY MASTERS AND TIPMAPS CONFERENCE
COMBINATION EVENTS!

NOVEMBER 15 - 17, 2011
SAN MARCOS, TX

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST ATTEND EVENT!

It is time to get EXCITED about these TWO BACK TO BACK SYMPOSIUMS! I know, I had to read and double check to make sure I was seeing this correctly also! This is going to be a Fantastic Event, so send in your attached SPONSORSHIP/http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifEXHIBITING OPPORTUNITY Form as soon as you can! This is going to be an AWESOME Opportunity to increase your Sales Margins for 2011.

Please visit the conference page for Conference times, Hotel accommodations, Sponsorship and Attendee information, etc. I have also attached a TIPMAPS Membership form for your convenience! Please note that for the TIPMAPS IPM SYMPOSIUM the start and end times are as follows, November 16th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM and November 17th until 5:00 PM.

Please feel free to call Becky or Mikki at TASBO (contact info on website), or Myself if you would have any questions. "LETS' GET GEARED UP AND GET THIS ROLLIN"

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Did you miss the April 5th School IPM Webinar? - Find it Online Now

Webinar: Integrated Pest Management in the School Setting: Strategies for Protecting Children from Exposure

Thank you to everyone who joined the webinar this afternoon. Lots of great information was shared and it became apparent we will need to hold a new webinar in the near future as new information emerges and legislation possibly changes.

For those of you who missed the webinar, you may access the course for the next five business days by clicking here.

In celebration of National Healthy Schools Day, the Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health, the Children’s Environmental Health Institute, and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be providing a free webinar for school administrators, school nurses, and teachers regarding Integrated Pest Management in the school setting. Come learn about how to protect children from pests and pesticide exposure yet provide a safe and healthy environment for learning.

You can also access the power point, no sound through our school IPM website, located on the resource and forms page at the very bottom
http://schoolipm.tamu.edu/forms/

Friday, April 8, 2011

URBAN WILDLIFE CONFERENCE - Austin - May 2011

The first ever International Urban Wildlife Management and Planning Conference will be held in Austin on May 22 – 25, 2011. The goal of the conference is to bring together wildlife biologists, wildlife researchers, urban practitioners, architects, urban planners, policy makers, and others who work in urban areas to determine ways to design cities that include nature, rather than exclude it.

Presentations will feature topics of urban wildlife research, as well as planning and design. There are talks about how to plan ahead to http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifavoid wildlife conflicts, as well as how urban wildlife benefit subdivisions and home values. A wide variety of talks and research. Keynote Speakers include Dr. Timothy Beatley (Biophilic Cities), Dr. Marina Alberti (Ecological Resilience in Urbanizing Landscapes), Kieran Lindsey (The Road Less Traveled: Subarus, Squirrels, and the Search for Stakeholders), and John Davis (Where Do We Go From Here? A Vision of the Future for Urban Wildlife).

Please check out their bios and all our speakers/ sessions on our conference website: www.urbanwildlife2011.org

Continuing Education Credits -- The Conference is now a registered Certified Maintenance Provider with the American Planning Association! The Wildlife Society is proud to announce their award of a maximum of 18 contact hours in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program for participation in the 2011 Urban Wildlife Management and Planning Conference. We are currently awaiting approval for Continuing http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifEducation Credits from the Texas Master Naturalist Program, Texas Department of State Health Services and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Important dates to remember:
April 20: Hotel reservations deadline – in order to receive the conference discount
May 1: Registration deadline – to receive the discounted registration; registration increases after May 1
May 22-25: International Urban Wildlife Management and Planning Conference, Austin

For more information, please email Diana Foss.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Webinar: Integrated Pest Management in the School Setting: Strategies for Protecting Children from Exposure

Do you know what to do when Bed Bugs come into your school?

In celebration of National Healthy Schools Day, the Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health, the Children’s Environmental Health Instituhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifte, and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be providing a free webinar for school administrators, school nurses, and teachers regarding Integrated Pest Management in the school setting. Come learn about how to protect children from pests and pesticide exposure yet provide a safe and healthy environment for learning.

To join in on the conversation on April 12th, 2011 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm, click here.

Friday, April 1, 2011

IPM Voice Now Accepting Membership Applications

IPM Voice, a new organization designed to advocate for integrated pest management, is now accepting applications for membership.
IPM Voice was formed in 2010 and just recently incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Over 35 individuals from universities, private and public organizations, and government agencies provided input into the development of IPM Voice.

The mission of IPM Voice is to advocate for integrated pest management (IPM) that is genuinely progressive and seeks continuous improvement of environmental, social and economic conditions through application of accepted scientific principles. The group comprises diverse philosophies and approaches united to support a broad foundation upon which IPM will be strengthened and improved.
IPM Voice is focused on advocating for IPM to those who can benefit from its practice, and increasing public and policy maker awareness of IPM and its benefits to agriculture and communities.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Everyone is invited to join IPM Voice, including those who are barred from lobbying. If your organization prohibits you from lobbying, your contribution to IPM Voice will be used for activities other than lobbying.
Members will receive regular communications about IPM Voice development and activities, and invitations to meetings and other events. Members can also participate on committees. Annual membership for individuals are $100 minimum, $250 for organizations.

For more information about IPM Voice, go to www.ipmvoice.org

Solve Your Fire Ant Problems with Help From the Experts

Please join us at: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/fireant Thursday, April 21st from 11:00-12:00 AM Eastern time (10:00-11:00 Central time, 8:00-9:00 Pacific time)

For those unfamiliar with eXtension (pronounced “e-extension), this is the national initiative involving Extension professionals across the nation in outreach educational efforts on a variety of topics. The Importhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifed Fire Ant”Community of Practice” or CoP (see http://www.eXtension.org/fire+ants) involves fire ant research and extension educators from all fire ant infested states. Through the power of the internet and social networking efforts, this group provides practical solutions to imported fire ant problems representing the consensus of “best management practices”. The upcoming webinar will be brought to you by The Imported Fire Ant eXtension Community of Practice. This webinar will present the information that you need to know to control fire ants. It is actually easy to kill the fire ants that are bothering you, once you understand how they live. You will learn how to apply the integrated pest management tactics that are as economical and environmentally friendly as possible. This interactive experience can provide an opportunity to communicate directly with fire ant specialists and seek answers to specific problems you may be encountering. Please join us for this discussion!

Moderator: Dr. Kathy Flanders, Associate Professor, Auburn University.

Topics:
· How Can You Tell if You Have Fire Ants? Dr. Jason Oliver, Research Associate Professor - Entomology · Tennessee State Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
· Understanding the Biology and Behavior of Fire Ants Makes it Easier to Control Fire Ants, Dr. Timothy Davis, Clemson University
· Managing Imported Fire Ants, Dr. Bastiaan Drees, Professor, Texas A&M University
· Biological Control of Fire Ants, Dr. Lawrence Graham, Auburn University

How to Participate: Please log in as a guest at: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/fireant