Launch of new EPA Environmental Justice in Action Blog

EPA's Office of Environmental Justice has officially launched its new Environmental Justice in Action Blog. The blog will feature stories on advances in environmental justice across the country. It is a great resource for environmental justice advocates and organizations.
 
You can visit the blog at http://blog.epa.gov/ej. Posts will be added every Thursday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time starting April 19th. Make sure to add your name to the RSS feed on the right side of the blog to receive our future posts directly to your email. Also, hit the "like" button above the link to let others know about this great resource!

Pest Private Eye Video Game Now Free Online

The University of Nebraska--Lincoln Extension is pleased to announce that the full version of Pest Private Eye and the Case of IPM in Schools (Pest PI), our educational first person role playing video game, is now available free on their website at http://pested.unl.edu/pestpi. Pest PI  teaches children and the educators who work with them about pests and how to control them using Integrated Pest Management.

Also on the website you’ll find links to online versions of a Teacher's guide and comic book, a user’s survey (http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FHK578845), and other resources about pests and IPM.

They have also recently developed an educator’s survey (http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FGFWPJQAG) to determine how the game is being used in classrooms, libraries, and other educational venues. Please pass this information along to anyone you think might be interested!

PA IPM News Spring 2012 Now Available

The PA IPM News Spring 2012 edition is now available as a downloadable PDF file from Web site at 

http://extension.psu.edu/ipm/news/newsletters/spring/spring-2012/view

In This Issue:

• Bed Bugs Can’t Beat the Heat at Penn State - As bed bugs continue to be a growing problem in apartment buildings, dorm rooms, hotels, hospitals and homes across the country, a new treatment method is proving to be very effective and less disruptive for students at Penn State.

• Uninvited Guests – Ants

• When “Green” is not so Green - Take a walk down the aisle of your local supermarket or hardware store and you’ll see plenty of products with labels using phrases like “eco-safe” and “environmentally friendly”. Such “green” claims can help us choose better products, but how can we be sure they are what they claim?

• West Nile Virus Strikes Early - A mild winter and balmy spring temperatures means increasing mosquito populations and the diseases they carry, including West Nile Virus.

• Christmas Tree Scouting Reports Available - Christmas tree scouting reports for the 2012 growing season are now available online at the Pennsylvania IPM Program’s website at http://extension.psu.edu/ipm/program/christmas-tree/news/scouting-report and on the 1-800 PENN IPM hotline.

• Guidelines on Bed Bug Prevention and Control in Public Housing - Bed bug infestations have become a serious problem in housing throughout the country. HUD’s new Guidelines on Bedbug Control and Prevention in Public Housing provides information and references to best practices regarding the prevention and control of bed bug infestations.

• Useful Web Sites

• Upcoming Events

Webinar announcement: Fire Ant Control Made Easy

Frustrated trying to control fire ants? If so, join us for an online seminar, Fire Ant Control Made Easy,on Thursday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT (10 to 11 a.m. CDT or 8 to 9 a.m. PDT) and brought to you by the Imported Fire Ant eXtension Community of Practice.

Killing fire ants is actually easier than you think—if you understand how they live. This seminar will help you learn how to apply integrated pest management tactics that are as economical and environmentally friendly as possible. You’ll also learn about fire ant biological control agents such as thePseudacteon phorid flies.

To participate, log in as “guest” at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/fireant

If you have specific questions that you want us to address during the webinar, post them to the Imported Fire Ant eXtension Facebook page (Fire Ant Info).

Find more information on fire ants at www.extension.org/fire+ants or on Facebook (Fire Ant Info), Twitter (@FireAntInfo), or YouTube (eXfireants).

Topics

• How Can You Tell if You Have Fire Ants? Dr. Jason Oliver, Tennessee State University
• Understanding the Biology and Behavior of Fire Ants, Dr. Kathy Flanders, Auburn University
• Managing Imported Fire Ants, Dr. Bastiaan Drees, Professor, Texas A&M University
• Biological Control of Fire Ants, Dr. Lawrence Graham, Auburn University

Call for Applicants: School Sustainability Leaders Summit

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council is now accepting applications to attend this summer’s School Sustainability Leaders Summit from June 27-29. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 30, 2012.

The Summit will be held at USGBC offices in DC and is designed for school district or school system staff who are the point-people for environmental sustainability within their organization. It is intentionally small in scale--around fifty attendees--allowing for very targeted learning and the opportunity to join and connect with a network of supportive professionals.

Last year’s event was a smashing success. Attendees from across the country shared stories, best practices, skill development, and more. You can find out more by watching the short Green Schools Fellowship video or reading the subsequent story on our blog.

The training is free and open to all types of K12 school districts or systems (public, private and charter). This year, we’re also offering a limited number of $500 travel stipends to help with the cost of getting to DC and staying in the city. The application for the Summit (at the link below) contains a section to apply for one of these stipends.

Fill out the application