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PA IPM Participates in National Symposium - March 2003
March 24, 2003
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- The three Rs and the ABCs long have been staples of the public school curriculum. But soon, many students across the country also will be learning their IPM.
IPM, or integrated pest management, aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and vertebrates - by emphasizing prevention via understanding pest biology and habits. If action is needed, physical, biological and sometimes chemical tactics are combined that are safe and environmentally compatible. Homeowners, landscapers, farmers, foresters and others who use IPM can often reduce pesticide use.
IPM education in schools and community IPM will be presented at the Fourth National IPM Symposium/Workshop taking place April 8-10 at the Westin Inn, Indianapolis. The symposium is an opportunity for participants from all across the country to learn about the latest developments relating to education and IPM and to share IPM experiences.
Speakers in a series of sessions will focus on innovative and successful education and outreach efforts for multiple audiences including production agriculture, K-16 students and faculty, the general public and federal agency employees and administrators.
The Pennsylvania IPM Program is taking part in the symposium and will be presenting topics related to IPM education in schools. The program helped to ensure IPM is a part of new legislation in Pennsylvania that mandates IPM be taught as part of the Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology. Academic standards specify what students have to learn in core subjects.
"IPM integrates scientific knowledge with real-world, problem-solving skills," says Lyn Garling, Pennsylvania IPM education specialist and coordinator of the IPM Education and Outreach session of the symposium. "Because IPM is an information-intensive, scientific approach, it is a good learning tool in subjects such as biology, chemistry, math and statistics.
"IPM can help students to develop critical-thinking skills and to become better-informed citizens who can contribute to society's decision-making process," Garling says. "Ultimately, we want to promote science literacy and increase public involvement in environmental issues."
In addition, Garling says students in Pennsylvania will learn how IPM can be used in non-agricultural settings, such as homes, gardens and even school buildings. "All school districts in Pennsylvania are now required to adopt IPM plans to manage pests on school grounds," she says. "By working with teachers and school maintenance personnel to scout for pests and implement the IPM tecniques that they've learned in the classroom, students will have opportunities for hands-on learning."
Other topics will include new tools and training innovations for agricultural professionals, federal agency IPM training, and public and community IPM outreach. "The non-farm general public is 'the other 98 percent' who make pest management decisions or are impacted by decisions made by others," Garling explains. "An educated, empowered citizen is the key to widespread demand and therefore implementation of IPM."
New innovations targeting the role of the community to promote IPM at the grassroots level will be discussed. Speakers will include community leaders who have built innovative IPM outreach programs for homeowners, neighborhood and apartment building residents, school faculty and staff, city workers and garden store sales staff.
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 nonagricultural situations. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.