october 2018 - volume 13, issue 4 environmental protection ... · use a proper fire pit with a...
TRANSCRIPT
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4
Seasonal Photo Contest
Our mission is to protect and preserve Morongo’s natural resources, traditions, and tribal
sovereignty. We promote environmental awareness and environmentally considerate actions
by exemplifying environmental stewards, fostering collaborative relationships, expanding
education and outreach activities, and continuing to enrich and develop our programs.
October 2018 - Volume 13, Issue 4
Environmental Protection Department
Native Plant Gardening in the Fall
2
Outdoor Fire Pits 3
A Local Wildlife Spotlight on Burrowing Owls
4
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Your Home
5
Recycling Basics 6
2018 Summer Outreach
7
AQI Flags 8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Congratulations to
Michael Pollack,
Water Dept.
for winning 1st place in the
Summer Seasonal Photo
Contest with the photo titled
“Stone irrigation ditch and
cattle”
Check out this amazing image from the Morongo Reservation.
Fall Entries
are due
December 1st
Submit your photos for a chance
to win a gift card to a local
retailer!
Submissions need to be original
photographs taken between
September 1, 2018 and November
30, 2018 within the Reservation or
the surrounding San Gorgonio Pass
and can be anything related to the
environment. Tribal members,
descendants, community members,
and employees are all welcome to
participate!
To submit your photo for the photo
contest, upload your pictures at:
www.morongonation.org/content/
environmental-seasonal-photo-contest
Or email photos and a description to:
environmental_department@morong
o-nsn.gov
If you need assistance uploading
your photo or you have any questions
about the photo contest, please
contact the Environmental
Department at 951-755-5128.
Thank you for recycling this newsletter when finished!
Congratulations to our 2nd
place photo by
Haile Skuza, Realty Dept.
“View from the top”
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 2
Many people think of gardening as a springtime activity. While
spring is the perfect time to plant many fruits/vegetables and is a
busy gardening season in most areas, that is not always true. In
Southern California, the late fall, winter, and early spring are the
best time to start most of our native plants. This helps plants take
advantage of natural rainfall and avoids the heat that comes all too
soon with spring and summer. Gardening with native plants in the
fall has many benefits for both the environment and the gardener.
Why Native Plants?
The insects and wildlife in our area have adapted to the native
plants that have always grown alongside them. Native plants
provide food and habitat for many animals that are facing pressures from developed areas and loss of
natural spaces. Nonnative plants may take the place of natives, but be unable to provide the same food
and habitat. An example of this are Monarch butterflies that can only feed on certain species of
milkweed. Nonnative flowers and other species of milkweed replace this food source and make migrating
much more of a challenge which many Monarchs do not survive.
Native plants are also much easier to care for than exotic plants
found in most nurseries. Once established, native plants can
generally rely on natural rainfall and need very little extra water.
Native plants are also lower maintenance, needing less pruning,
fertilizer, and pesticides. These benefits can save you time and
money.
Native plants sustain our local ecosystems. Adding
them to your garden will help link natural areas that are
becoming farther apart. Fertilizers can contribute excess
nutrients to aquatic ecosystems and pesticides can harm
non-target plants and animals. Since native plants use less
of these, it keeps these potentially harmful chemicals off of the ground and out of waterways.
Native plants also help reduce erosion and can help to filter pollutants that runoff from your
home.
What Plants Should I Use?
Plants that naturally grow in the area are the best
bet for a native plant garden. Be careful when you
pick out plants and pay attention to the specific
species; not all plants that are native to California or
are drought tolerant are appropriate to our local area.
There are many resources (see below) that can provide
plant lists for your specific area. Some easy and
attractive plants for the area surrounding Morongo
include lupine, sages, buckwheat, Ceanothus, and
manzanitas.
More information and resources:
Calscape.org, https://www.cnps.org/gardening, and https://californianativeplants.com/
Native Plant Gardening in the Fall Written by: Kimberly Miller, Environmental Specialist II
Chaparral whitethorn (Ceanothus leucodermis)
California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
Meadow with Purple Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta)
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 3
Outdoor Fire Pits Written by: Jon Castillo, Environmental Technician
With temperatures cooling down and time change around the corner,
people will be lighting up outdoor fire pits. Fires can be warm and cozy, but
can also be a hazard. There are a few things to take into consideration
before lighting fires that can save lives, environment, and property.
Always make sure you use common sense when lighting fires. Do not
start outside fires on a windy day; embers from fires can travel in winds up
to a mile. Never have a fire under trees, heat rises and can start a tree fire
just by heating leaves and branches.
Use a proper fire pit with a screen on top of the pit prevents some
embers from flying into the air. If you are making a fire pit in the ground,
dig your hole at least 12 inches deep and surround your hole with good sized
rocks. This prevents your fire from spreading to surrounding brush and the
rocks help with a border for your fire.
Consider days when your county declares a “NO BURN DAY”. On these
days, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has a no
burn rule that prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such
as those made from wax or paper. This means that the air is heavy with smog
and using fire pits and fireplaces are not recommended. This is done to
reduce health hazards, such as high levels of particulate matter in the air.
Burning wood and releasing smoke into the air creates particulate matter
and will affect air quality. This can be bad for elders and small children who
have breathing issues such as asthma or bronchitis. Smoke inhalation is
also bad for these reasons. People who have breathing problems should not
be around fire pits or fireplaces. A link to additional information and an
interactive no-burn alert map is available at www.airalerts.org. For
recorded Check Before You Burn information, call (866) 966-3293.
If it is a good day to burn, fire pits should burn hot to minimize smoke. Do not use wet wood, since
wet wood will only smoke and not burn hot. Use only dry seasoned wood and buy wood in the area you
plan to burn it. Please do not bring wood into our canyons from wood suppliers outside of the area or
wood that has not been checked for pests and properly dried. Bark beetles and the Goldspotted Oak
Borer can spread into our trees from infested firewood. These pests damage our trees and are almost
impossible to get rid of once here.
Fire pit safety is necessary. Do not leave your fire pit unattended.
Firewood can drop and fall outside your pit, potentially setting fire to
nearby brush or wood. Do not leave your children unattended near fire pits;
the curiosity of children will draw them to the fire. Fire pits will be hot and
can cause burns when touched. Teach children the surrounding area is off
limits. When making hot dogs or marshmallows, use long tools so that they
are far from the heat. Always keep a fire extinguisher and first aid kit with
burn cream nearby. Keep your phone nearby and be ready to call 911 if
needed. Fire pits can be fun and relaxing when used properly, but you
should use them with caution.
Information obtained from: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fire-pit-environmental-dangers/
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 4
While walking or driving through fields at Morongo and in other areas of
Southern California, you may have noticed a small bird peering at you from the
ground near a burrow. While it looks like an owl, it seems too small, too long-
legged, and too active in the day to actually be one. Despite all of these odd
traits, what you have spotted is likely a burrowing owl. Burrowing owls (Athene
cunicularia) are a fascinating species that is quite a bit different from the other
species of owls.
Burrowing owls range from 7 to 10 inches tall and can have a wingspan up
to 24 inches. They are brown with some white features, yellow eyes, and no
noticeable ears. Burrowing owls are most active at dusk and dawn, but can be
active during night and day. The burrows they live in are typically ones that
have been dug by other animals (like ground squirrels), but they can dig their own. Their food typically
consists of small mammals and large insects, but can also include lizards, frogs, and small birds.
Burrowing owls live in generally flat, open areas that are suitable to digging burrows and where prey
is easy to spot. The preferred habitat has short vegetation with a few taller shrubs, rocks, or mounds
that can provide a good hunting vantage point. This includes grasslands, agricultural areas, open fields,
and can even be in developed areas, such as roadsides or airports. At Morongo, we’ve even found one
that made a temporary burrow in a cleared lot under a pile of rocks. Burrowing owls are social and can
nest in colonies of many individuals. The combination of preferred habitat type, their ability to make
due with altered landscapes, and many owls living close together can create conflict between owls’ needs
and people’s desire to develop areas. When an “empty” field is graded or paved without a close look, owls
and nests can be quickly crushed. Although burrowing owls are widely distributed in North
America, the alteration of their habitat and conflict with human development have made them
a species of special concern in California.
Due to this status of concern and the frequent overlap with human development, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation
Research and serval other collaborators to conduct a burrowing owl study in Riverside, San
Bernardino, Imperial, and San Diego counties. The study seeks to see how habitat loss affects
owl behavior/movement and what are the best ways to deal with owls that need to be relocated
due to development and construction projects. The study tracks owls by placing GPS
transmitters on them (see picture to the right) and monitors how
their movement changes over time after being relocated compared
to a control group. Morongo agreed to allow two resident owls be
included as part of the study and the Morongo Environmental
Protection Department got to be a part of placing the transmitters
on the owls.
If you want to find more information on burrowing owls or other
bird species of concern, check out the Audubon field guide
(https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/burrowing-owl) or the
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife website
(https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/SSC/Birds). If you have
questions about the burrowing owl study, contact the Morongo
Environmental Protection Department.
Photos in article are credited to Jessica Southard
A Local Wildlife Spotlight on Burrowing Owls Written by: Kimberly Miller, Environmental Specialist
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 5
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Your Home Written by: Pamela Atcitty, Environmental Specialist II
What Is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, tasteless, toxic gas that
everyone should be aware of. Because CO is very difficult for people to detect,
it can kill you and your loved ones within minutes. However, residents can
protect themselves against CO poisoning by learning its sources, detecting the
symptoms of CO poisoning, and knowing tips to reduce exposure.
Where Does Carbon Monoxide Come From?
Carbon Monoxide is the most toxic substance you will come into contact
with in your daily life; in your home, at work, garage, car, and boat. Carbon
monoxide is a gas created when fossil fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal,
propane, oil, and methane) do not burn completely. When not properly ventilated, carbon monoxide
emitted by appliances or equipment can build up. The danger occurs when too much carbon monoxide
accumulates in a contained, poorly ventilated area. Some of the most common sources of CO in the home
are gas and wood stoves, kerosene and gas space heaters, leaking chimneys and furnaces, gas water
heaters, fireplaces, and tobacco smoke. Possible sources of CO at work or from attached garages can
come from generators and other gasoline powered equipment, auto, truck, or bus exhaust, and nearby
roads or parking areas can also cause serious problems.
What Are the Symptoms Associated with Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
CO replaces oxygen in the bloodstream, eventually causing suffocation. Just how sick people get
from CO exposure varies greatly from person to person, depending on age, overall health, the
concentration of the exposure, and the length of exposure. At low concentrations, many have associated
the symptoms to those of flu-like conditions; dizziness, headaches, fatigue, confusion, nausea, and
shortness of breath. Higher concentrations are dangerous even for a short time. At higher
concentrations, symptoms include difficulty breathing, impaired vision and coordination, continued
headaches dizziness, confusion, nausea and unconsciousness. The most severe effects are due
to excessive carbon monoxide build up in the bloodstream, which reduces oxygen intake. At
higher concentrations, CO exposure can be deadly.
How Can You Protect Yourself from CO Poisoning?
The best defenses against CO poisoning are safe use of vehicles and proper installation,
ventilation, use, and maintenance of household cooking and heating equipment. Follow these
steps to reduce exposure to CO poisoning in your home.
Keep gas appliances properly adjusted. Install and use exhaust fans over gas stoves,
vented to the outdoors.
Do not idle your car inside attached garages, even if garage door is open.
Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating systems
(furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks promptly.
Open flues when fireplaces are in use.
Never use a charcoal burning grill to heat your home.
Do not use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time.
Never use a generator indoors or in poorly ventilated areas.
Use properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission standards.
Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented one.
Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters.
Do not ignore symptoms, particularly if more than one person is feeling them. You
could lose consciousness and die if you do nothing.
It is also recommended that you install a CO detectors on every floor of your home, outside
all sleeping areas, but only as a backup. A CO detector is no substitute for following the safety
warnings above. Preventing CO from becoming a problem in your home is better than relying
on an alarm.
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 6
Recycling Basics Written by: Brandon Gutierrez, Environmental Specialist I
Recycling plays an important role for everyone generating waste in homes and businesses, as it
reduces the need for acquiring more landfills and natural resources such as trees, oil, and metals.
However, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the national recycling rate is about
26 % [1]. Increasing the US recycling rate to 60% could save the equivalent of 315 million barrels of oil
every year [2]. Although recycling may seem trivial, it is often misunderstood and poorly managed even
when good Samaritans recycle. These misunderstandings can be avoided by understanding the recycling
basics.
At Morongo, recyclables are commingled and collected in the blue recycle carts which are emptied by
Morongo Public Works and then delivered to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Riverside,
California. At the MRF, materials are hand sorted and separated into groups of plastic, paper,
cardboard, metal, and glass. However, due to the nature of having a single stream of recyclables, there is
a possibility that some batches of commingled materials are contaminated by food, fluids, dirt, and other
non-recyclable materials. When recyclables are identified as contaminated, they have to be discarded as
trash and sent to the landfill. Thus, defeating the purpose of recycling and protecting the environment.
The following are 4 basic recycling rules to remember:
1. Make sure the materials are actually recyclable. At Morongo, these materials include,
mixed paper (newspaper, magazines, computer paper, junk mail, file folders, and cereal boxes),
all numbered hard plastics, plastic bottles, glass bottles/jars,
corrugated cardboard boxes, and aluminum cans. If it becomes too
difficult to determine whether or not an item is recyclable, check
for the 3 recycle arrows shown on the right.
2. Make sure all materials are clean and dry! When
recyclables are covered with oils, fluids from juice bottles or soda
cans, food, and other non-recyclable materials, they become
“contaminated”. Contamination means that the batch of
commingled recyclables now become trash and are sent to a
landfill.
3. No plastic bags, films, or wraps! Plastic bags do make it
convenient to hold all recyclables, but these thin plastics create a
hazardous and expensive environment at the MRF. Plastic bags
and film become stuck with other recyclables, and jam equipment
at the recycling facility. Rather than using a bag to keep all
recyclables together and placing that same bag into your blue
recycle cart, it is better to dump only the recyclables in that bag
into the blue recycle carts, instead. Keep all plastic bags and go to
Earth911.com to find a local grocery store to recycle all plastic
bags [3]!
4. If a recyclable is smaller than the palm of your hand, then it
cannot be recycled. Remember, these recyclables go through hand-
sorting at the recycling facilities. If the workers there cannot grab
the materials, then it is discarded as trash.
Recycling requires small amounts of effort, but also leads to
preserving more of the environment and reducing disposal costs.
Understanding what is recyclable and what is not, will result in
an increase of the national’s recycling rate.
Works cited:
[1] EPA. Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2015 Fact Sheet [Online]. Available: www.epa.gov (2018).
[2] Eartheasy. Recycling Basics [Online]. Available: https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/recycling-basics-for-the-home (2018).
[3] Earth911. How to Find a Responsible Recycler [Online]. Available: https://earth911.com (2018).
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 7
2018 Summer Outreach Written by: Jessica Southard, Administrative Assistant
Summer High School Intern Program
Each summer we select up to two high school students to intern with our
department. They shadow our specialists and learn about the various
environmental programs Morongo has. This year’s interns were John-Wesley
Marcotte and Aiyana Necochea. On the right are two pictures of the interns
assisting with habitat assessment with the Tribal Water Program and
checking out equipment with the Tribal Air Program. At the end of their
internship, each intern selects a topic that they have an interest in, and give
a written report and oral presentation. John-Wesley was interested in the
topic of E. coli and its presence in our surface water. Aiyana
was passionate about the establishment of an off-road vehicle
track for recreation, but also to help preserve the environment.
We are proud of the work they did and hope to see more good
things from them in the community.
Declutter Event
Our annual Declutter Event held June 8 was a success.
We provided a day for the community to bring their
unwanted items, such as clothing/household donations,
shredding, e-waste/batteries, light bulbs, medication, etc.
TANF Summer Day Camp
We were honored to be asked to help teach an
environmental science week for the TANF summer day camp
program this year. The kids got to learn about recycling,
vermicomposting, water resources, the water cycle, greenhouse
gases, reading weather data, and native plants & animals. They ended their week with a visit
to the Bog for a trash pickup.
Cultural Days
At Cultural Day our float and booth this year
were themed around using renewable energy. We
made giant pinwheels to simulate wind power
generating energy to power a big light bulb. Visitors
at our booth got to make their own “wind” powered
pinwheel.
MCRS Wellness Event
The MCRS Wellness event for casino
employees was a lot of fun. We discussed the
casino’s recycling program, and reminded
visitors to keep all food waste out of the
recycle bins.
October 2018 —Volume 13, Issue 4 8
Environmental Protection Dept. 12700 Pumarra Road Banning, CA 92220
This newsletter was printed on 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper
Morongo School AQI Flag Program
If you would like to receive electronic versions of the Morongo Environmental Protection Department’s Quarterly
Newsletter and information on other Environmental Events, sign up at www.morongonation.org/content/environmental-
newsletter-email-signup or email [email protected] and request to be added to the list! Prefer a copy mailed to you,
no problem! You can sign up at www.morongonation.org/content/newsletter or email us at [email protected]
Great day to be active outside!
Good day to be active outside!
Sensitive students should take it easy.
OK to be outside for short activities.
Don’t forget to take breaks. Watch for
coughing or shortness of breath.
Consider moving activities indoors.
Any outdoor activities should be less
intensive with more breaks.
Move all activities indoors or
reschedule outside play to another day.
Air Quality Index What you should do: Have you seen the colored flags flying at
the Morongo schools and wondered what
they mean? The flags represent the
forecasted air quality index (AQI) for the
day. It is important to take note of the air
quality, especially when planning outdoor
activity. This summer Morongo had
several poor air quality days due to heat,
dust storms, fires, and more. The flags can
help you consider your health when
determining your activity levels.
You can also check the air quality
yourself by visiting www.airnow.gov or
downloading the AirNow app. If you would
like a magnet of the flag definitions for your
home, please contact the Environmental
Protection Dept. at 951-755-5128.