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UC IPM creates new urban and community IPM program UC Davis campus. Photo by Jack Kelly Clark. UC IPM is widening its focus to provide more help for urban and community audiences while continuing to deliver resources and products that improve agricultural integrated pest management. Gearing up for her new role as Associate Director for Urban and Community IPM, Mary Louise Flint is planning an urban and community IPM team meeting early in 2008. In addition to Flint, key members of the team include south coast IPM Advisor Cheryl Wilen and Urban IPM Educator Karey Windbiel-Rojas. UC IPM will also be coordinating closely with ANR faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors already serving these audiences to build programs and prioritize research and extension needs that amplify UC’s existing strengths. “Expanding more aggressively to serve urban and residential areas will allow the UC IPM Program to touch potentially every Californian,” says Flint. “Many people associate integrated pest management and pesticide problems primarily with agriculture. However, significant needs and problems apply to residential and urban audiences, as well.” The program's professional clientele include structural pest control operators, landscape maintenance professionals, and maintenance gardeners. Many public agencies are involved in managing pests in public parks, golf courses, and buildings. Other groups include retail employees who sell pesticides, pet groomers, commercial building managers, schools, and day care centers. The list of potential pests is as diverse as the audience, but key pests include termites, ants, snails and slugs, weeds in landscapes and rights-of-way, rodents, cockroaches, spiders, and exotic and invasive species. To reach the large potential audience, UC IPM will work with professional groups, public agencies, retailers, and UC Master Gardeners. Programs will be developed at a statewide level and adapted and implemented locally with the cooperation of county Cooperative Extension advisors. Over the short term, the primary products of this cooperation will likely include train-the-trainer programs, educational and outreach materials, and research and demonstration projects. Next article >> Light brown apple moth |