Roswell, GA — THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANNUAL EARTH DAY KIDS FEST will be held Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Chattahoochee Nature Center featuring the Lawn Games for Life campaign inspired by the new book, Tag, Toss Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games, which goes on sale nationally on March 27.

Here’s the official release from the event sponsor, the Captain Planet Foundation:

The new book by Victoria Rowell and Paul Tukey will encourage children to get off the couch and go back outside.

The day will offer a fantastic array of “edutainment” to engage and entertain families! Start the morning off with a handshake and photo opportunity with the world’s first and only eco-superhero, Captain Planet! And in true Saturday morning tradition, Planeteers of all ages can watch select Captain Planet and the Planeteers episodes in the Cowie Weiss Theater. Laughing Pizza will return to the festival this year to bring their power-packed musical performance on stage. And things will get a little wild with live native animal presentations by our co-host, Chattahoochee Nature Center!

Learn how to play yard games from all over the world while watching an interactive presentation and book signing of Kick, Toss Run by co-authors, Paul Tukey and award-winning actress, Victoria Rowell. Look for much more excitement this year as the planning is underway to provide an entirely new experience for the entire family. You’ll always enjoy the face painting and canoe paddling on the pond, but don’t be surprised to see some new famous faces.

Held on the grounds of the Chattahoochee Nature Center, this exciting, family experience is brought to the community by the Macy’s Foundation as presenting sponsor with XFINITY from Comcast and the Atlanta Journal Constitution as media sponsors.

In honor of our 10th Anniversary, we are combining forces with the Earth Day Network (EDN) to promote the ‘Billion Acts of Green’® campaign. Already, 499,578,824 global citizens have committed to their act of green and EDKF is a fantastic opportunity to get involved. Log on to http://act.earthday.org/ to register your act of green today!
The price of admission is $5 for children, $6 for seniors, $8 for adults, and children under two are free. Visit www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Related Posts:

• Was It Something We Said?
• Why Ban Lawn Pesticides? The List of Reasons Keeps Growing
• The Glenstone Model: A Landscape Plan for Businesses, Municipalities Everywhere

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/lawn-games-for-life-campaign-joins-captain-planet-foundation-festival/

Here’s the primer:

LAWNS AND SAFETY

The industry that manufactures and applies synthetic chemical pesticides (weed-killers, insecticides and fungicides) hides behind EPA blessing of its products, suggesting that such approval by the Environmental Protection Agency is proof that their pesticides are safe when used as directed. The reality is that EPA approval is NOT a finding of safety, but rather it is a risk-benefit analysis of health and environmental risks weighed against economic benefits. In most cases, those risks and benefits are borne by differing members of society. In other words, the chemical companies and applicators get the money and the homeowners, ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans etc. bear the risks. The EPA approves some incredibly dangerous products, most of which have never been fully tested for safety — and only real testing is done by the manufacturers themselves. The EPA needs to receive loads of complaints about a product before it engages in its own testing.

LAWNS AND HEALTH

Seventeen of 32 (53 percent) of the most commonly registered and utilized lawn pesticide products in the United States include ingredients that are likely carcinogens, as defined by the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Thirteen of 32 (41 percent) of the approved lawn pesticide products include ingredients that are banned or restricted in other countries due to their health and environmental impacts.

According to the Material Safety Data Sheets of the most commonly used lawn pesticides, the products can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; burning, stinging, itches, rashes, and blistering of the skin; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; and coughing, wheezing, headache, and general malaise. Because these symptoms are similar or identical to those caused by other illnesses, acute pesticide poisoning is often misdiagnosed.

Pesticide exposure occurs through numerous pathways, including the skin, eyes, ears, nose and mouth — all areas where children are particularly sensitive.

The National Academy of Sciences estimates that one in 7 adults suffers acute symptoms of pesticide poisoning (such as those symptoms listed above) — most of which are not diagnosed.

Exposure to pesticides is also linked with chronic illness, such as cancer, behavioral impairment, reproductive dysfunction, endocrine disruption, developmental disabilities, ADHD, Autism, Parkinson’s Syndrome, learning disabilities, skin conditions, and respiratory diseases such as asthma.

A National Cancer Institute study states that, “although research is underway to characterize the risks of childhood cancer associated with pesticides and identify the specific pesticides responsible, it is prudent to reduce or, where possible, eliminate pesticide exposure to children, given their increased vulnerability and susceptibility. In particular, efforts should be focused to reduce exposure to pesticides used in homes and gardens and on lawns and public lands, which are major sources of exposure for most children.

A number of studies have linked lawn pesticides to childhood illnesses:

a) A University of Southern California study showed that children whose parents used garden pesticides were 6.5 times more likely to develop leukemia.

b) According to EPA’s Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment, children receive 50 percent of their lifetime cancer risks in the first two years of life.

c) Children with brain cancer are more likely to have been exposed to insecticides in the home.

d) Children in families that use professional pest control services are at higher risk of developing leukemia than children in families that don’t use pesticides.

e) A 1990 study by the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment concluded that “in general, [human health] research demonstrates that pesticide poisoning can lead to poor performance on tests including intellectual functioning, academic skills, abstraction, flexibility of thought, and motor skills; memory disturbances and inability to focus attention; deficits in intelligence, reaction time, and manual dexterity; and reduced perceptual speed. Increased anxiety and emotional problems have also been reported.”

A US EPA study found that residues from outdoor pesticides are tracked in by pets and people’s shoes, and can increase the pesticide loads in carpet dust as much as 400-fold. These pesticides, intended for outdoor use, will persist for years indoors because they are sheltered from sun, rain and other forces that can degrade them.

Another study, published in November 2003 by the Silent Spring Institute, which was funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, showed that residents may be continuously exposed to dangerous levels of pesticides in their home decades after application.

Recently, an “inert” ingredient in the most common lawn pesticide product known as Roundup was found to kill human cells. The French government sued the manufacturer of Roundup for making improper safety claims about Roundup.

LAWN TRENDS

Canada has announced it will ban weed ’n feed nationwide by the end of 2012. This ban was seen as a compromise between Health Canada and the pesticide industry, which agreed that weed ’n feed products put excess amounts of pesticides in the environment.

More than 80 percent of the Canadian population has banned “cosmetic” herbicides used to kill dandelions, clover etc. on lawns. Most major Canadian retailers including Home Depot have stopped selling herbicides and have committed to selling alternatives.

The states of New York and Connecticut banned the applications of lawn pesticides around schools and daycare centers.

More than 35 municipalities in New Jersey have enacted bans of synthetic lawn pesticides on public property.

In its 9-0 landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Canada invoked “The Precautionary Principle” with regard to pesticides. The Precautionary Principles means that, even in situations where there is not absolute proof of harm in all cases, precaution should be taken to protect the environment and human health.

The National Gardening Association data shows that 10 percent of consumers are currently utilizing exclusively organic products; that total is expected to grow to 50 percent of the marketplace by 2014.

ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES
The efficacy and understanding of organic products has increased dramatically in the past five years; several new organic products have entered the market in just the past three years, including a natural “selective” herbicide that can replace the most toxic chemicals.

Canadian landscapes that have been grown without pesticides for years are still beautiful. Mayors and town managers have reported a reduction in costs for mowing, watering, fertilizing and pesticide applications.

LAWNS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

All 32 of the most common lawn pesticide products include ingredients that pose threats to the environment, including: threats to water supplies, birds, fish, other aquatic organisms, and non-targeted insects.

The National Academy of Sciences estimates that homeowners utilize 10 times the amount of fertilizer and pesticides per acre of lawn and landscape than do farmers.

In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency completed a nationwide survey of pesticides in wells that provide drinking water. It showed that more than half of the 94,000 community water system wells and rural wells tested contained nitrates from fertilizer. Nearly 15 percent of residential wells contained lawn pesticides.

A Cornell University study led by Dr. David Pimentel concluded that 99.5 percent of pesticides do not hit the target pest when applied. The bulk of the pesticide hits or drifts to non-targeted plants, animals, water and soil.

The chemical mostly commonly used for grub control in lawns, known as imidacloprid, has been blamed for Colony Collapse Disorder in bees in France, Germany, Israel and many other nations. Many scientists and beekeepers in the U.S. have now reached the same conclusion.

COST

For years, the biggest limiting factor in lawn care was price; organics was typically 20 to 100 percent more expensive on action. These days, with the rising price of synthetic products tied to the fuel index, as well as the lowering cost of many organic products, the playing field has tipped in favor of organics — especially over time.

NOTEWORTHY

The New York Board of Pesticide Control estimates that 8 of 10 homeowners do NOT fully read the label on pesticide containers.

Dozens of health care organizations, including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Ontario College of Family Physicans and the Canadian Association of Physcians for the Environment, all endorse the Canadian bans on lawn pesticides.

Related Posts:

• The Glenstone Model: A Landscape Plan for Businesses, Municipalities Everywhere
• Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade
• Amidst Wildlife Federation Firestorm, Scotts Miracle Gro Fined $4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed, Falsifying Records

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/why-ban-lawn-pesticides-the-list-of-reasons-keeps-growing/

At the core of transformative learning theory, according to Wikipedia, is the process of “perspective transformation” with three dimensions: psychological, convictional and behavioral. True transformation in this world, according to many sources, is rare.

It has taken place, however, at a magnificent facility known as Glenstone, an art museum in Potomac, Md.

Prior to a phone call to SafeLawns in the early summer of 2010, the 150-acre facility with 16-acres of manicured lawn, functioned on the premise of IPM, known as integrated pest management in everyday landscape vernacular — or “instant pesticide manipulation” to the skeptics. Tasked with keeping the facility as emerald green and weed free as possible, Glenstone groundskeepers fertilized with synthetic chemicals, sprayed weeds and dealt with insects and fungal diseases with chemicals. They also hired outside contractors to spray plants just in case something might happen in the future.

All that stopped in July of 2010. The organization’s founders provided the psychological and convictional impetus that led to a behavioral change among the grounds crew.

It was such a major and sudden shift, I can admit to holding my own breath at times. The conventional wisdom, even among some organically oriented landscape professionals, is that the transition to organics takes three to five years. Many believe going organic is inherently “going ugly,” at least for a while.

Although it was never stated to me, part of me felt like if we did fail to deliver a beautiful landscape at any point in time then maybe that conviction to stay the organic course would be tested. Maybe the facility would revert to IPM, which may often loosely be defined as: “it’s OK to use pesticides as a last resort when nothing else is working.”

Eighteen months into one of the largest organic lawn care transformations anywhere in North America the grounds crew has never even had to consider going back. Given the true convictional transformation that has occurred — among the residents, the staff and the landscape crew — I can’t imagine synthetic chemicals will ever be openly sprayed again.

Just a few highlights of the results:

1) The grass has been green and lush, even in times of drought;
2) The lawn is fertilized with only compost top-dressings and sprays of compost tea, with only a single pound of organic nitrogen (alfalfa-based) fertilizer applied each year (per thousand square feet);
3) The limited weed pressure has been dealt with by spot spraying of Fiesta and other organic products, or by hand pulling;
4) The facility has SAVED MONEY on products and labor due to . . .
5) Vastly reduced mowing and watering, as well as elimination of all pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

The greatest thing about Glenstone from my perspective has been the facility’s willingness, even desire, to share what it’s learning with the world at large. We have hosted group tours with national horticultural dignitaries, held public events for local citizens and, just yesterday, hosted a VIP Open House for the greater DC environmental community. Enthralled attendees reached a unanimous conclusion: Glenstone’s beautiful, sustainable grounds serve as the model for the New American Landscape — where aesthetics and safety can co-exist.

Glenstone is funding research with the University of Maryland’s turfgrass department that is being replicated both at Glenstone and the UMD campus. Within the trials, composts and compost teas will go head to head with synthetic chemical products and results will be made public.

What we know already — stated above — is that Glenstone is saving money, just as any business, municipality or homeowner would if they follow what I call the Glenstone Model: 1) Stay committed; 2) Do it Right; 3) (that means) Don’t be afraid to do things differently.

Glenstone succeeded because it took a leap of faith, even though many of the techniques were inherently different from what had previously given the groundskeepers good results. Remember, Glenstone didn’t change because the grounds looked bad, or because it couldn’t afford the chemicals; Glenstone changed because founders were concerned about human, animal and planetary health within the context of providing a pleasant aesthetic experience to visitors.

I encourage anyone who visits the nation’s capitol to take the time to experience Glenstone, where viewings of the modern art galleries and grounds are arranged by appointment. The place may be the very polar opposite of Disney World, where millions of people visit at once. Glenstone is intended as a serene, intimate experience where the art and architecture integrate elaborately, yet quietly with a grand suburban landscape.

When you’re there, it’s as if you’re a guest in someone’s home — because essentially you are. No money changes hands. No one will try to sell you anything.

That doesn’t mean, however, you won’t leave transformed.

Horticulturists from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and other Mid-Atlantic institutions toured Glenstone in late November.

Related Posts:

• Why Ban Lawn Pesticides? The List of Reasons Keeps Growing
• Common Ground: The Ocean, Lakes, Rivers & Streams
• Citing Guilty Plea, Wildlife Federation Ends Agreement with Scotts

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/the-glenstone-model-a-landscape-plan-for-businesses-municipalities-everywhere/

When you’ve been going to the same big party for 20 years you tend to know a lot of people, recognize even more faces and many of those — certainly not all — were smiling my way the past two days in the wake of the perceived “victory” we helped forge against Scotts Miracle Gro. That company, you might have heard, tried to shovel millions of dollars in the direction of the National Wildlife Foundation to whitewash its admission of forged documents among other wrongdoings in federal court.

SafeLawns led the chorus of organizations protesting the National Wildlife Association’s money grab and, as a result, we heard a lot of “Way to go!” comments on the trade show floor in Boston. We also dealt with a few chemical industry supporters saying “You’ve got a lot of nerve to show your face here,” too, but those folks were clearly in the minority.

At one point we engaged in a lengthy conversation with several folks including Steve Castorini, the co-founder of American Beauties native plants. He has his own partnership with the National Wildlife Federation; funds from the sales of his plants are donated in support of the NWF’s Garden for Wildlife Program.

Steve was clearly annoyed. The National Wildlife Association’s self-imposed stain, by association, isn’t good for his stellar brand and it underminds his good intentions.

“The National Wildlife Federation should have known better,” said Nancy Dubrule-Clement, owner of Natureworks Garden Center for the past 29 years.

THE ISSUE OF NON-PROFIT FOUNDATIONS AND TAINTED MONEY has been all over the news lately, constantly raising the question of whether or not it’s OK for organizations like ours and others to accept funds from sources with less than pure intentions.

The National Wildlife Foundation’s ill-fated dalliance with Scotts Miracle Gro isn’t even close to the biggest story of this week. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, the nation’s largest breast cancer fund, is in hot water right now for withdrawing money from Planned Parenthood. Critics say it was a politically charged decision based on the Republican influence of new leadership that doesn’t like Planned Parenthood’s ties to abortion rights.

Just yesterday word came down that the august Sierra Club, perhaps the nation’s most influential environmentally oriented non-profit, had allegedly accepted $30 million from the natural gas industry without most people knowing. The gas industry is embroiled in a nationwide controversy about an insidious practice known as fracking that imperils underground supplies of fresh water. Some suggest that the gas industry “bought” the defacto endorsement of the previous Sierra Club CEO, Carl Pope, who had campaigned openly in favor of natural gas as an alternative to coal.

IN A PROVOCATIVE ARTICLE, the current CEO of the Sierra Club really got to the heart of the issue that all of us face when we’re trying to fulfill our mission of protecting the planet.

“The first rule of advocacy is that you shouldn’t take money from industries and companies you’re trying to change,” said Michael Brune.

That comment flies in the face of remarks by National Wildlife Federation CEO Larry Schweiger last week, who tried to sell the idea that he could help Scotts Miracle Gro “become a better company” — while simultaneously accepting their money.

That, for many of us, just doesn’t pass the sniff test. Or, as my grandfather would often say, “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Put another way: Can anyone really rail against an organization when said organization is, at least indirectly, feeding your family?

It’s not easy, though. For years, my former publishing company People, Places Plants wouldn’t accept advertising dollars from any companies that sold synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and we also eschewed the big box stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe’s because they were seen to be bad competition for our core customer — the family owned garden center.

Our publication and television show often suffered financially due to the stubborn refusal to change our standards. At SafeLawns, our corporate sponsorships and private membership funds have never quite recovered from the economic crash of 2008; we could do so much more with more money from the chemical companies who, in our view, are trying to “greenwash” their image by an association with us.

In 2010, when the Sierra Club changed CEOs and stopped taking money from the natural gas industry, reports say that many jobs within the organization were lost — thereby potentially diminishing the organization’s ability to do good things. It’s a valid argument, one to which many adhere.

And the money aside, we all need partnerships to get by in this world. In a perfect world all of our friends, family and business associates would share the same ideals and ethics. But we all know about the world’s imperfections.

The Komen for the Cure folks, for example, have been lauded for practically inventing the idea of cause marketing. In their case they allow companies to “wear” the pink ribbon in exchange for a marketing program that leads to a donation back to Komen. In many cases those programs have worked well, helping to fund hundreds of thousands of breast exams annually.

In other cases, Komen’s motives have been brought into question. Allowing KFC to run long with a “Bucket for the Cure” campaign didn’t go over well with the critics who thought fried chicken wasn’t the optimum dietary supplement for heart patients and cancer survivors. They charged KFC with “pinkwashing,” in other words trying to veil its unhealthy food with the Komen association.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S ALL ABOUT being able to walk down the aisle of a trade show, a local grocery store and most importantly your family’s dinner table with your head held high. Many times in my life and career that dinner table could have been more amply covered if I had made different decisions in my business affiliations.

We’re not perfect here. Far from it. I know we’ve made questionable decisions, too.

Be we do think the Sierra Club’s Michael Brune has it right. If you’re an activist or non-profit that really wants to make a difference in the world, you need to roll up your sleeves . . . and keep your hands as clean as possible.

Related Posts:

• Citing Guilty Plea, Wildlife Federation Ends Agreement with Scotts
• Amidst Wildlife Federation Firestorm, Scotts Miracle Gro Fined $4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed, Falsifying Records
• Common Ground: The Ocean, Lakes, Rivers & Streams

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/the-money-trail-its-tough-to-keep-the-path-and-hands-truly-clean/

Related Posts:

• Amidst Wildlife Federation Firestorm, Scotts Miracle Gro Fined $4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed, Falsifying Records
• Why Ban Lawn Pesticides? The List of Reasons Keeps Growing
• Common Ground: The Ocean, Lakes, Rivers & Streams

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/02/manitoba-set-to-join-canadian-pesticide-parade/

The SafeLawns Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation share the common goals of keeping the water clean. (Geoff Glenn photo)

If there’s one truism we’ve found as we begin our seventh year at the SafeLawns Foundation, it’s to expect the unexpected. To that end, last week we enjoyed a lengthy conversation with Surfrider Foundation, a group that initially came together in 1984 to protest threats to their local surf break at Malibu Point in California.

These days the Surfrider Foundation maintains more than 50,000 members, 80 chapters worldwide and, as we discovered, one of the most robust standards for earth friendly gardening of any group on the planet.

Homeowners who pledge to meet the proper criteria are allowed to post this sign in their yards.

“Bad lawn and garden practices are especially bad for the oceans,” said Paul Herzog, the Surfrider Foundation’s national coordinator of the Ocean Friendly Gardens Program. “All of that runoff from chemical fertilizers and pesticides eventually winds up in the ocean somewhere. So anything we can do to work together to minimize the impact of lawns and gardens is good for all of us.”

The Ocean Friendly Gardens program includes an ambitious homeowner criteria (below) that addresses everything from downspouts to drip irrigation.

“An Ocean Friendly Garden is a garden that applies CPR — Conservation, Permeability, and Retention© — to revive the health of our watersheds and oceans,” reads the campaign slogan.

An OFG Sign will be awarded to any garden that achieves the organization’s criteria. And it doesn’t matter if you live in Malibu or somewhere in Michigan, Minnesota or Maine . . . these are all good rules to live by in the landscape:

CONSERVATION
Turf Areas
* Climate-appropriate turf grass is limited to 20% of total square footage of the landscaped area.
* Turf grass is limited to only those areas where it serves a specific purpose (documented play area).
* Turf grass is maintained organically without synthetic fertilizers and never over-watered.
* Turf grass is kept away from the perimeter of the garden, where irrigation overspray is hard to control.
* Cool season turf grass is not in front yard gardens in areas receiving less than an average 44 inches of annual rainfall.
* Warm season turf grass, if present, is not over-seeded with cool season grass during winter months.

Irrigation
* No automatic irrigation is utilized OR: Irrigation system is in good repair (no breaks or leaks) with no visible signs from stains on nearby hard surfaces or erosion on vegetated surfaces from repeated overspray or runoff. (See maintenance details below)
* No spray irrigation of any kind is installed in areas less than 10 feet wide OR a total surface area of less than 100 square feet.
* Drip irrigation is ½ inch diameter tubing or larger — utilizing either line source (”in-line”) OR point source emitters (”on line”).
* No 1/4″ diameter irrigation tubing is present, except where needed for irrigating containers and raised beds. (See maintenance details below)
* Hoses have shut-off attachments.
* A weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC) or “smart” irrigation controller is installed OR
* Absent a WBIC, the irrigation controller has a rain shut-off installed.

Mulch
* A minimum of 2 inches to 4 inches of natural woodchip mulch is present in all planted and open areas.
* 50% or more of the woodchip mulch must be smaller than 1 inch in length or diameter.
* Small open mulch-free areas are permitted if they are designated for native bee or insect habitat.

Plants
* Plants are grouped according to plant community or hydrozones including:
* Similar sunlight exposure, water requirements, root depth, soil type, hardiness and
temperature adaptation, and/or size at maturity.
* New gardens are planted with sufficient space between plants to accommodate mature growth without over-crowding, and to minimize pruning at maturity.
* Plants requiring regular shearing are not permitted, unless they are edible or produce edible fruit.

PERMEABILITY
Healthy Living Soil
* Soil health is maintained organically without chemical additives.
* Soil health is maintained by the addition of compost, compost tea, and worm castings.
* Soil is not visible beneath a mulch layer, EXCEPT
* Areas 4 inches-12 inches around the crown of woody plants should remain un-mulched, and
* Areas 12 inches to 60 inches around the trunks of trees should remain un-mulched.
These un-mulched areas should be minimized, but depends on the size of tree/plant crown.

Our choices in gardening products, as well as how water flows in and around our landscape, can have tremendous impact on the water system at large

Permeable Hardscape
* Walkways and patios are made permeable with
* Plants, mulch or decomposed granite in gaps between pavers or other hard surfaces; OR
* Materials that permit water to “flow-through,” e.g., permeable concrete or asphalt.
* Impermeable surfaces or minimally permeable surfaces, such as permeable pavers or decomposed granite, are graded to direct excess surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas.
* Existing impermeable surfaces such as driveways or large patio areas have been altered to direct surface flow of water into adjacent vegetated areas or retention/detention devices.
* Plant material is 80% climate-appropriate unless it is edible or produces edible fruit. (Climate-appropriate plant material is defined as plant material with a Species Factor or Crop Co-efficient of 50% or less or is described by reliable local references as a “medium” water-using plant in the particular climate. In California, use www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/docs/ for Species Factors.)
* Local native plant material is utilized for at least 10% of the visible garden area, whether or not the other plant material is edible or produces edible fruit.
* No invasive species are present. Invasive species are defined as those listed on the local Invasive Plant Council website as invasive or on the “watch list”. (General information at: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver, and in California http://www.cal-ipc.org.)

Water Features
* Water features may improve the habitat of the garden and are allowed within these guidelines:
* Water is recycled by the water feature.
* Open water features are covered at least 50% by vegetation,
* All water features are maintained without chemicals or additives that are toxic to fish.
* Overflow from the water feature drains into a vegetated area.
* Swimming pools and chemically treated water bodies are drained to sewer systems.
* Swimming pools must be covered to minimize evaporation when not in use.

RETENTION
Downspout Re-direct
* If gutters are installed, all visible downspouts are directed away from impermeable surfaces into vegetated areas, mulched areas or retention/detention devices.
* Rain chains and other devices to slow the fall of water are recommended as a replacement for downspouts.
* If gutters are not installed, surfaces beneath the roof eaves are EITHER
* Vegetated with hearty plants that can withstand the beating; OR
* Covered with mulch, gravel or other sturdy and permeable materials, AND
* Hardscape surfaces beneath roof eaves are altered to create areas of permeability and direct surface flow of rainwater into vegetated or mulched areas or retention/detention devices.
* Drains carrying roof runoff or surface drain runoff from back yards or areas not visible to the street are
EITHER:
* Directed into rainbarrels or cisterns at the downspouts to slow and reduce the flow of water into the drainage system, OR
* Disconnected from their overflow to street and re-directed into a vegetated or mulched area.

Sponge Gardens (Rain Gardens)
* The visible garden area has been designed to capture as much of the rainfall from rooftops and other impermeable surfaces as possible.
* The flat areas on the property have been replaced with high and low contoured areas (”graded retention areas”) to prevent rainfall from “sheeting” across the garden and off the property – helping to retain the first 1″ of rainwater after a dry spell: AND/OR
* A dry creek bed or vegetated swale (”bioswale”) captures the majority of the surface flow of downspout water and water from adjacent hard surfaces, creating sufficient area to slow, spread and sink it.
* Dry creek beds or vegetated swales are designed to hold at least 1″ of rain from roof and adjacent hard surfaces, AND
* Rainfall in excess of 1″ or the water-holding capacity of the garden, whichever is greater, is safely directed off-site after having been run through vegetated areas, including bioswales and creek beds, to remove pollutants and retain sediment.
* At least one tree or very large shrub has been planted at its proper distance from hard surfaces and buildings to help naturally store water for the entire garden.

Retention Devices
Rainbarrels or above-ground cisterns are visible and are:
* Installed properly in accordance with any prevailing local building standards or codes,
* Secured for safety purposes, and
* Overflow into vegetated or mulched areas, AND/OR
* Below surface retention areas and devices such as dry wells or cisterns are utilized to do the same.

Maintenance Details
1. Valve assemblies installed properly in permeable areas (preferably surrounded by mulch or gravel).
2. Irrigation shut-off valves are easily identified.
3. Separate irrigation valves are utilized for each hydrozone (see “hydrozone” description in 4a below).
4. Back-flow prevention and pressure regulation is visible in or at the valve assembly.

Irrigation Details
1. Spray irrigation is matched precipitation, “multi-stream, multi-trajectory.”
2. Spray irrigation requires anti-drain check valves to prevent low head drainage.
3. Spray irrigation heads of any kind are installed at least 24 inches from hard surfaces and buildings.

Related Posts:

• The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean
• Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade
• Miracle Gro Deal with Wildlife Federation Outrages Environmental Community

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/common-ground-the-ocean-lakes-rivers-streams/

HOW’S THIS FOR SUSPICIOUS TIMING?

On the same week Scotts Miracle Gro tried to buy an image upgrade by sponsoring the National Wildlife Federation, word has come out of a federal court that the company will pay millions of dollars in fines for selling bird seed it knew was tainted with pesticides toxic to birds.

Though the company had no comment yesterday, it pleaded guilty to charges that it sold 73 MILLION UNITS of tainted bird seed from 2005 to 2008. According to an article in today’s Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, the company continued to sell the bird seed “despite warnings in the summer and fall of 2007 from a pesticide chemist and an ornithologist, both of whom worked for the company.”

The company also pleaded guilty yesterday to falsifying documents with the Environmental Protection Agency so that it could rush new weed ‘n feed and ant killing products to market back in 2006. When Scotts’ fallacy was revealed — after the products containing cancer-causing agents had already been on the market for two years — the company blamed the actions on a single female employee, who was abruptly fired after years with the company.

Many in and around the company called her an obvious “scapegoat,” who unjustifiably took the blame for an error that could not possibly have been hers and hers alone. In a 2008 article in the same Columbus newspaper, Scotts spokesman Jim King admitted the fired employee had a supervisor who reviewed her work, but the supervisor was not terminated according to people within Scotts.

“There aren’t very many people working for Scotts in that end of the company,” said our colleague at Scotts who asked not to be named. “But I knew the woman who was let go very well and it would be completely out of character for her to knowingly falsify records.”

When SafeLawns phoned the woman this morning, she pleasantly declined comment, as she has done previously with other media inquiries.

Meanwhile, our phone and email in-box has been lit up today as the story of Scotts’ latest transgression spreads across North America.

The company, many folks believe, must have known this ruling in federal court was coming down for several months. The timing of the sponsorship with the National Wildlife Federation, announced by NWF on Jan. 18, was clearly designed to draw attention away from what is believed to be the largest fine ever levied on a pesticide company.

“It is whitewashing at the highest, most obvious level,” said Rand Jordan. “I’ve yanked my NWF habitat sign out of my backyard. I’ll never, ever support them again.”

Many called on the National Wildlife Federation to return Scotts’ money and demand that the world’s largest purveyor of lawn and garden poisons change its ways.

“I’m sickened. Just sickened about the whole thing,” said Sue Leonard of Fort Worth, Texas.

Related Posts:

• Citing Guilty Plea, Wildlife Federation Ends Agreement with Scotts
• The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean
• Manitoba Set to Join Canadian Pesticide Parade

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/amidst-wildlife-federation-firestorm-scotts-miracle-gro-fined-4-5-million-for-toxic-bird-seed-falsifying-records/

Succumbing to a barrage of criticism from the environmental community — and in the wake of a guilty plea from Scotts Miracle Gro in federal court — the National Wildlife Federation announced to members this afternoon that is would end its sponsorship deal with the world’s largest purveyor of toxic lawn and garden products.

The announcement of a promotional deal between Scotts and NWF posted 10 days ago confounded thousands of followers of the organization known for its environmental stewardship programs. The organization’s leadership steadfastly defended its deal last week, but apparently had no idea that Scotts Miracle Gro would soon plead guilty last Thursday to charges of falsifying documents and selling bird seed tainted with pesticides that are toxic to birds.

At approximately 4 p.m. today, Ed Coleman, the general manager of customer service at NWF, issued this statement:

“The National Wildlife Federation has worked together with Scotts Miracle-Gro over the past two years on programs to educate gardeners about global warming, connect children to the outdoors and help restore habitat following the Gulf oil disaster. Both parties recently announced plans for an even broader partnership that was based on our common interests.

“Since that time, Scotts announced a pending legal settlement related to events in 2008 that predate our partnership, which has made it clear that the partnership is not viable. Therefore, NWF and Scotts will work together to end the partnership in a friendly and mutually beneficial way.

“National Wildlife Federation appreciates your continuing support.”

Coleman also posted his email (colemane@nwf.org) and phone number (703-438-6205) with the message.

Reaction was celebratory, even euphoric, from SafeLawns followers who have been emailing, phoning and protesting in various ways in the past week.

“We won!” said Marie Ross. “This proves the power of social media once again.”

“It’s too bad it took the federal court case for the NWF to come to its senses, but at least it did,” said Jonathan R. Douglass.

Many others thanked SafeLawns directly for helping to lead a charge last week with a series of postings about the story.

“Thanks, Paul, for all you do,” said a message from a group known as StopPesticidesinNeedham. “I suspect all our letters combined with the reality that Scotts is such a dirty company made the NWF realize this was not good.”

Related Posts:

• Miracle Gro Deal with Wildlife Federation Outrages Environmental Community
• The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean
• As Wildlife Federation Defends Its Greed, Scotts Continues to Assault Our Sensibilities

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/citing-guilty-plea-wildlife-federation-ends-agreement-with-scotts/

HOW’S THIS FOR SUSPICIOUS TIMING?

On the same week Scotts Miracle Gro tried to buy an image upgrade by sponsoring the National Wildlife Federation, word has come out of a federal court that the company will pay millions of dollars in fines for selling bird seed it knew was tainted with pesticides toxic to birds.

Though the company had no comment yesterday, it pleaded guilty to charges that it sold 73 MILLION UNITS of tainted bird seed from 2005 to 2008. According to an article in today’s Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, the company continued to sell the bird seed “despite warnings in the summer and fall of 2007 from a pesticide chemist and an ornithologist, both of whom worked for the company.”

The company also pleaded guilty yesterday to falsifying documents with the Environmental Protection Agency so that it could rush new weed ‘n feed and ant killing products to market back in 2006. When Scotts’ fallacy was revealed — after the products containing cancer-causing agents had already been on the market for two years — the company blamed the actions on a single female employee, who was abruptly fired after years with the company.

Many in and around the company called her an obvious “scapegoat,” who unjustifiably took the blame for an error that could not possibly have been hers and hers alone. In a 2008 article in the same Columbus newspaper, Scotts spokesman Jim King admitted the fired employee had a supervisor who reviewed her work, but the supervisor was not terminated according to people within Scotts.

“There aren’t very many people working for Scotts in that end of the company,” said our colleague at Scotts who asked not to be named. “But I knew the woman who was let go very well and it would be completely out of character for her to knowingly falsify records.”

When SafeLawns phoned the woman this morning, she pleasantly declined comment, as she has done previously with other media inquiries.

Meanwhile, our phone and email in-box has been lit up today as the story of Scotts’ latest transgression spreads across North America.

The company, many folks believe, must have known this ruling in federal court was coming down for several months. The timing of the sponsorship with the National Wildlife Federation, announced by NWF on Jan. 18, was clearly designed to draw attention away from what is believed to be the largest fine ever levied on a pesticide company.

“It is whitewashing at the highest, most obvious level,” said Rand Jordan. “I’ve yanked my NWF habitat sign out of my backyard. I’ll never, ever support them again.”

Many called on the National Wildlife Federation to return Scotts’ money and demand that the world’s largest purveyor of lawn and garden poisons change its ways.

“I’m sickened. Just sickened about the whole thing,” said Sue Leonard of Fort Worth, Texas.

Related Posts:

• Lawn Games for Life Campaign Joins Captain Planet Foundation Festival
• Was It Something We Said?
• Why Ban Lawn Pesticides? The List of Reasons Keeps Growing

The full interview, conducted awkwardly by long-time NWF staffer Kevin Coyle, can be watched here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/presidential-response-01-25-12. It really does come off as an incredibly interesting case study of an organization that just made the worst public relations move of its career — with little or no skill set in place for spin control. Every time Coyle tried to ask Schweiger about the toxicity of Roundup and weed ‘n feed, the CEO grimaced and said, “We don’t have to agree on everything in order to work together to find answers to the tough problems.”

Time and time again in the interview Schweiger insisted that it was better to deal with this devil, Scotts Miracle Gro, from close range. That way, he said, he can help Scotts become better environmental citizen.

“They want to change. They want to be a better company,” said Schweiger.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Jim Hagedorn, the CEO of Scotts Miracle Gro, signed up for that ringing endorsement when he signed the check over to Schweiger. Do you really think Hagedorn thinks his company needs to improve its environmental record?

More likely, though, Hagedorn wasn’t watching Schweiger squirm. Instead he was probably paying close attention in Florida today where his company is leading a fierce battle to overturn that state’s many bans on the applications of lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen. The fertilizer runs off during the rainy season and creates massive blooms of red-tide. That’s bad for the state’s fishing and tourism industry — something you think the National Wildlife Federation should care about — but a ban on the fertilizers in the nation’s second largest lawn care market has been also bad for Scotts’ bottom line.

Think about that. On the very day Schweiger defends Scotts in front of a camera looking like his tie is three clenches too tight, Scotts is a few states away making Schweiger’s decision looking more asinine by the hour.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Club asked everyone in Florida to take a look at this map that shows where the fertilizer runoff is having a huge impact:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=enmpa=0ctz=300mpf=0vps=15ie=UTF8oe=UTF8msa=0msid=211539618625491573613.0004b1b520a27d0c8cb86. Wouldn’t disseminating that kind of information be a better use of NWF’s time than defending its recent money grab?

Near the end of the interview Schweiger insisted that he’s been an environmental activist his whole career for the sake of his grandkids — like the kids everywhere who roll around in lawn care poisons at 30 million homes from Maine to California.

It seems to me, if I could make a suggestion to the National Wildlife Federation, that there’s an real opportunity at hand here if Mr. Schweiger really does care about his progeny and the planet.

He needs to stand up tall — and loud — and say he’s sorry. He needs to say he made a bad decision in taking the Scotts money. He needs to say he won’t take another dollar from Scotts or any company like it until the companies stop making products that can poison his grandkids.

That would effect change. That would (or might) MAKE Scotts take notice. That would fulfill the mission of the National Wildlife Federation and restore the trust for tens of thousands of supporters who were disillusioned this week.

Until he does that the tie is only going to get tighter.

Related Posts:

• The Money Trail . . . It’s Tough to Keep the Path, and Hands, Truly Clean
• Amidst Wildlife Federation Firestorm, Scotts Miracle Gro Fined $4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed, Falsifying Records
• Citing Guilty Plea, Wildlife Federation Ends Agreement with Scotts

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/as-wildlife-federation-defends-its-greed-scotts-continues-to-assault-our-sensibilities/