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 7^th 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

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.

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.

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

7th International IPM Symposium 2012 – Call for Poster Abstracts

The 7^th 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.

IAQ Tools for Schools Guidance Featured in Green Ribbon Schools!

The U.S. Department of Education, with the assistance of 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.

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 at the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools website. Access the latest information on topics such as IAQ and student performance, asthma management and developing an IAQ management program.

For more information on Green Ribbon Schools, including eligibility, applicant information and FAQs, visit the Department of Education's informational website or contact green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov.