The Healthy Alternatives Working Group

Increasing public awareness of pesticide dangers and encouraging adoption of safer practices for managing pest problems is a crucial way we can protect the health of our families, wildlife, and the waterhed ecosystems we depend on. The Healthy Alternatives Working Group concentrates on this area by creating and distributing educational materials and campaigns.

Current campaigns of this working group cover a range of activities, including:

• Promoting organic land and lawn care;
• Increasing awareness of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools laws;
• Educating on dangers of registered-pesticide disinfectants and safer product choices;
• Encouraging use of non-toxic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques; and
• Managing mosquitoes without pesticides.

While pesticide pollution from agriculture remains by far the major source of chemical contamination of the Bay, pesticide runoff from commercial, governmental, and residential land is growing, as human population and development increase throughout the region.

The working group is co-facilitated by Veronika Carella, Legislative Director, Md. Children’s Environmental Health Coalition and Steve McDaniel, Master Beekeeper, McDaniel Honey Farm.

Principal members:

• Ruth Berlin, Executive Director, Md. Pesticide Education Network
• Sheen Goldberg, Environmental Educator, Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center
• Rob Jenkins, Nursery Manager, Blue Water Baltimore/Herring Run Nursery
• Bob Musil, President, Rachel Carson Council
• Chip Osborne, President, Orborne Organics
• Margie Roswell, Owner, Roswell Infographics
• Debra Roy, Vice President, Chemical Sensitivity Disorders Association
• Stuart Stainmen, Vice Chairman, Patapsco/Back Tributary Team
• Ellen West, Master Gardener
  and others

For more information, contact Bonnie Raindrop, Project Director at 410-404-3808 or raindrop@mdpestnet.org