partnering for pesticide reduction growing with master gardeners™ carl grimm senior solid waste...
TRANSCRIPT
Partnering for pesticide reductionGrowing with Master Gardeners™
Carl GrimmSenior Solid Waste PlannerMETRO Resource Conservation and Recycling
Presentation plan
1. Behavior change vs. upstream change?
2. Growing a partnership
3. A few tools of change
4. Our training for change
5. What are we learning?
1. BEHAVIOR CHANGE VS. UPSTREAM CHANGE?
We know we can’t shop our way out of the pesticide problem
…and that upstream work is essential.
We also believe “behavior change” work can help…
Behavior change grows communities of care
Community support is needed for future policy success
…and for cultivating community norms
Helping individuals reduce their exposure to toxics
Metro, meet OSUOSU, meet Metro
Regional government
Urban planning origins
Hazardous waste reduction goal
Land-grant university
Agricultural origins
Education goal
Growing a partnership for pesticide reduction
Dancing the advocacy-education fence line
How we’ve moved forward, in and out of the comfort zone
•Establish our common ground
•Develop common work collaboratively
•Metro largely provides resources
•OSU largely provides services
Our common ground
Protect human and environmental health
Make Integrated Pest Management (IPM) information easily accessible
Ensure that information shared is based on scientific research
2. A FEW TOOLS OF CHANGEOutreach kit
Pesticide-free pledge
Free coupons
Grow Smart Grow Safe and the pesticide hazards “cheat sheet”
Table banner
How-to booklets and rack
Organic lettuce seeds
E-newsletter signup
Tabletop signs
Outreach kit
Pesticide-free pledge and promptFacilitating commitmentsGenerating social normsMeasuring impact (as best we can)
Free coupons and seedsGenerating reciprocityRemoving barriers
Grow Smart, Grow Safe
King County, Thurston County, Washington, and Metro partnership
Resident-friendly interface for hazard rankings and alternatives
Free iPhone app now available, plus www.growsmartgrowsafe.org
Pesticide hazards “cheat sheet”Combines Thurston County hazard ratings with some Grow Smart, Grow Safe tool elements with use information for Master Gardeners
Piloted last year, revision in works
Thurston County IPM chemical reviews Science-based reviews combine hazard and risk ratings. Powers “cheat sheet” and Grow Smart, Grow Safe.
E-newsletter
Helping participants move up the ladder of commitment with monthly tips and commitment opportunities
Western Oregon IPM Resources CollaborativeExploring development of region-specific urban IPM web resource for Master Gardeners, governments and pest management professionals
3. OUR TRAINING FOR CHANGEThe softest side, and essential
In Master Gardener trainings
Setting clear expectations
Role playing
Be ready!
Field support for Master Gardeners
Popping in on volunteers at work
Coaching and mentoring
Bringing resources
Collecting pledges and emails
Taking pictures
Expressing appreciation!
4. WHAT ARE WE LEARNING?
As usual…
Counting beans: EASY
Measuring behavior change: HARD
Measuring waste diversion: HARDEST
Bean counting
*Metro contacts are for fiscal year; Master Gardener contacts are for previous calendar year.
FY07-08
FY08-09
FY09-10
FY10-11
FY11-12
FY12-13
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
Metro and OSU contacts, 2008-2013*
"Metro" contactsMaster Gardener contactsPledges
Cont
acts
/ple
dges
Audience researchRegion-wide surveysParticipant surveysVolunteer focus groups and surveys
Learned: Suburban pet owners and parents are key audiences
Almost every household uses pesticides
About 40% use green alternatives (organic or other)
Health, water, and children are key motivators for change
Master Gardeners value the cobranded materials, especially the hazards “cheat sheet”
Pesticide HHW diversion cost guestimate*
Diversion cost estimated as annual program cost ÷ cumulative diversion
Disposal cost assumes 5% annual increase
Diversion estimate assumes• Pledgers would have used
HHW disposal for pesticides and will not after pledging and disposing one load
• Frequency and quantity of disposal would have been average
• 5% recidivism rate *Based on best estimates as of September 20, 2013. Results may change as the analysis progresses.
year 1
year 2
year 3
year 4
year 5
year 6
year 7
year 8
year 9
year 10
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
$70
$80
$90
$100
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000 90.7727506104477
24.4678730713158
$2 $3
8,583 lbs
Cost per pound diverted (est.)Cost per pound disposed (est.)Cumulative diversion in pounds from FY12-13 pledgers (est.)
Estimated value of reduced pesticide impacts?
Human healthWater qualityWildlife
= PRICELESS?
Recommendations
Connect with your Extension Service
Start simple
Build on common ground
Give time for working out details
Involve key players early and often
Provide adequate funding
Build on existing resources
More information
Carl [email protected]/garden
Weston Miller503-706-9193weston.miller@oregonstate.eduwww.metromastergardeners.org