Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
AUGUSTA, Maine – Last week, RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) teamed up with local lawn care expert and president of Mainely Grass, Inc., Paul Sevigny, to talk with municipal leaders in Maine about integrated pest management (IPM) at the Maine Municipal Association annual conference. The event was held Oct. 2-3 at the Augusta Convention Center.
Karen Reardon, vice president, public affairs at RISE, and Sevigny gave a presentation, entitled “Taking an Integrated Approach to Pest Management: Pesticide Use and Safety”. They described the principles of IPM, shared research on consumer perceptions of pesticide use, and highlighted resources available to the public at www.debugthemyths.com. They also provided real-life examples of how to take an integrated approach to identify, monitor, prevent and control pests on city and residential properties to keep them healthy and safe.
RISE also participated in a trade show at the event, distributing door hangers about grubs, children’s books about insects and weeds, and posters of New England’s invasive species to raise awareness among participants about the importance of IPM in mitigating the prevalence of invasive species in their community.
The MMA is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that provides advocacy, education and legal services to municipalities and local governments in Maine. It was founded in 1936 as one of 49 state municipal groups that are recognized at all governmental levels for their advocacy of collective municipal interests.