1. home and garden

Image Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness, © Carol Freeman
Message From Executive Director Ruth Kerzee
A NEW NAME: BECOMING MIDWEST
PESTICIDE ACTION CENTER
You probably already noticed the new look of this Update, which
reflects some exciting changes that are happening within our
organization. After a thoughtful evaluation that included input from our
staff, board, and stakeholders, we’ve changed our name from Safer
Pest Control Project to Midwest Pesticide Action Center (MPAC). This
new incarnation reaffirms our core commitment and mission: to reduce
the health risks and environmental impact of pesticides by promoting
safer alternatives. As MPAC, we will continue to address issues related
to pesticide use, while expanding our reach throughout the Midwest.
Our staff and board are looking forward to strengthening our position
in the Midwest as a leader on pesticide issues affecting human health
and the environment. You will start seeing our new look on mailing
materials and on some of our printed outreach items. Later this year,
we will launch a new website that will provide easy access to our
resources to help individuals, communities, and institutions reduce
their pesticide use.
As MPAC, we will be leading efforts to:
• minimize pesticide use in schools, childcare centers, yards, and
parks;
• reduce pesticide exposure and pest problems in low-income
communities;
• decrease runoff and exposure to toxic lawn and garden
chemicals;
• inform the public about pesticide risks and the availability of safer
alternatives; and
• advance policies that provide greater protections against
pesticide exposure.
As we move toward our 20th year, we are strengthening our current
partnerships and forging new ties to achieve our goals throughout the
entire Midwest.
I speak for everyone at MPAC when I say we are excited about the
future of our organization. We look forward to having the broadest
possible impact with your support. Please feel free to contact me at
(773) 878-7378 ext. 201 or rkerzee@pesticideaction.org if you would like
to discuss our new direction and any potential partnerships.
NEW LEADERSHIP AT MIDWEST
PESTICIDE ACTION CENTER
Hello, friends! It is with great pleasure
that I am addressing you from my new
position as Executive Director of Midwest
Pesticide Action Center (MPAC). Many of
you may know me in my former capacity
as Associate Director, and since that time,
I’ve taken on growing responsibilities and challenges. A few of
my most noteworthy accomplishments with this organization
include shepherding Chicago Public Schools, the third-largest
school district in the country, to full adoption of integrated pest
management (IPM) as district-wide policy; creating innovative
training programs for our schools, childcare and housing programs
that maximize impact and promote non-toxic pest control, and,
developing educational materials, such as our BITE Back! poster,
that offer user-friendly useful information to help limit pesticide
exposure. This poster, as well as many of our other resources,
continues to be distributed by our regional partners including
the Illinois Department of Public Health, Purdue University’s
Entomology Department, and the City of Chicago.
As a team member, I was also fortunate to contribute to the work
that earned the EPA’s Environmental Justice Award, developing a
bed bug policy paper for the City of Chicago, creating our first fiveyear strategic plan, and rebranding the organization. I am looking
forward to continuing the hard work needed to advance MPAC’s
mission to reduce the health risks and environmental impact of
pesticides and lead in the promotion of a healthier future.
I cannot start my work here without first recognizing the incredible
work of Rachel Rosenberg, our Executive Director for almost
a decade. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Rachel for her
hard work and dedication to Safer Pest Control Project/MPAC’s
success. I look forward to continuing her legacy by stewarding
MPAC as we look to the future. Thank you, Rachel, for helping
us to establish strong roots and providing a firm foundation upon
which the organization can continue to grow.
This is a time of great change: the organization is transitioning to a
new name, logo, website, and leader. I’m excited and honored to
be here to lead as we begin our next phase as Midwest Pesticide
Action Center.
MPAC Welcomes Two New Board Members
JOHN POAST
John is the Senior Vice President for
Residential Lending at Key Mortgage
Services, Inc. He has spent 14 years in the
financial industry, working previously as a
broker for Chicago Bancorp and as a trader
with Goldman Sachs and Hull Trading.
John grew up in Cincinnati and moved
to Chicago to attend college. After living for a short time in
Manhattan, John has been a Chicago resident for over a decade.
He currently lives in River North and is very active in running,
cycling, and sailboat racing.
PALLAVI PHARTIYAL
Pallavi Phartiyal is a Senior Analyst and
Program Manager for the Center for
Science and Democracy at the Union of
Concerned Scientists. Since earning her
Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
she has spent most of her career focusing
on the intersection of science and public
policy. She worked previously for the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, providing review and guidance
to academic institutions and federal agencies on science
infrastructure and research competitiveness.
Her strong history of volunteerism includes building science
capacity in developing countries, assisting on presidential
campaigns, and various speaking engagements. This will be the
first board she has served on. Pallavi lives in Massachusetts and
enjoys hiking and traveling in her spare time.
Chicago Grows Green Promotes Climate Friendly
Lawn and Garden Products and Practices
The Chicago region is already experiencing
the negative effects of climate change.
Temperatures are warmer, the frequency of
heavy rainstorms is increasing, and plants
are blooming earlier than expected. These
changes are making it increasingly difficult
to maintain the beautiful outdoor spaces
we are used to enjoying. However, our
lawns and gardens are not just victims of
climate change—the practices and products
we use to maintain our outdoor spaces such
as over-watering, fertilizers, and weed killers all
contribute to the production of greenhouse gas emissions. This
spring, MPAC launched a new program called Chicago Grows Green
to address this dilemma. Chicago Grows Green provides residents
with environmentally friendly tips for lawn and garden care. Topics
include the use of organic fertilizers, natural pest and weed controls,
water conservation measures, native plants, and low-emission
garden tools. For more information, check out MPAC’s new resource
“Chicago Grows Green – A Guide to Growing a Climate-Friendly
Lawn & Garden” at www.spcpweb.org and look for our materials in
your local home and garden store.
Ladybug Bash
Save the Date!
Full-Day Bed Bug Workshop Focuses on
Specialized Bed Bug Management
In partnership with the EPA Chicago Office and HUD, MPAC
hosted a full-day workshop for 200 building managers. The event
included specific information for five types of buildings. Content
included promoting the development of responsible and effective
bed bug management policies and protocols. We estimate that
this effort helped protect at least 40,000 individuals from the
misuse and overuse of pesticides.
Midwest Pesticide Action Center Promotes
Sustainable-Landscape Management in Wisconsin
In early March, MPAC gathered over 50 representatives from park
districts, schools, landscape service providers, and municipalities
in the Milwaukee area to discuss ways in which to manage green
spaces without the use of toxic chemicals. This workshop was a
part of MPAC’s continued collaboration with the Illinois-Indiana Sea
Grant on the Lawn to Lake Program, a regional initiative funded by
the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to protect and restore
water quality in the Lake Michigan basin. By preventing the use
of nearly 300,000 pounds of pesticide products this year alone,
this workshop will help provide over 140,000 people access to
healthy, safe, green spaces.
773.878.7378
•
773.878.8250 (fax)
•
Please plan to join us for the 7th Annual Ladybug Bash
on Thursday, October 24, 2013
at Ravenswood Event Center, Chicago.
Call for Photographs!
We are looking for photographs to
showcase at the Ladybug Bash that
capture the interaction between people
and plants and animals that are normally
considered pests. Photographs could
relate to the ways in which we see and
interact with “pests,” from ants to weeds
and everything in between. Photographs of
outdoor spaces such as parks, fields, and yards are welcome.
Selected photographers will receive one free ticket (a $65
value including food, drink, and entertainment) to the Ladybug
Bash. Photographs will be featured in the silent auction with
proceeds supporting our work to reduce the health risks and
environmental impacts of pesticides.
SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Submissions must be made by email to rkerzee@pesticideaction.
org by September 1, 2013 to be considered. Emails should
include a JPEG (1,000-1,200 pixels on the longest side and
less than 5MB); alternatively the photo can be submitted on a
CD. If selected, the photographer must turn in the final printed
photograph(s) by September 24, 2013. Final photographs
should be between 8x10 inches minimum and 16x20 inches
maximum and either dry mounted to mat board or framed.
4611 N. Ravenswood Avenue, Suite 107, Chicago, IL 60640
•
www.midwestpesticideaction.org
The following individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies made gifts
to Safer Pest Control Project from January 1 to December 31, 2012. With so many wonderful
donors, we make every effort to accurately acknowledge your support. Please call (773) 878-7378
ext. 201 with any errors or omissions, so that we may correct our records.
$3,500 AND ABOVE
Peter and Lucy Ascoli Family Fund
Donna and Thomas Stone Foundation
$1,000 - $3,499
Caroline Beckwith
Susan Besson
Gregg and Susan Wilson
Jonathan Higgins
$500 - $999
John Johnson and Seana Hasson
The Lumpkin Family Foundation
Agnes and Tom Meneses
James and Christy Origer
$250 - $499
Ann Alexander
Sheldon Baskin
Julie Elena Brown and
Steve Schneck
Susan Buchanan
Richard and Marjorie Ettlinger
Jennifer Farley
Adam Greenberg
Denise and Daniel Hamburger
Konstanze Hickey
Lorraine Lerner
Anne McKibbin
Julie and Bruce Samuels
Senator Heather A. Steans
Kim Stone and Ken Wexler
Katherine and Christopher Tipper
Tom and Elizabeth Wippman
$100 - $249
Elizabeth Aldrich
Dena Al-Khatib
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Bramson
Katie Coleman
Kevin Connelly
Stanley L. and Mary Ferguson
Meleah Geertsma
Craig and Michal Golden
Ada Mary Gugenheim
Jan Gundy
Janet and Michael Hanley,
Mission Accounting, Inc.
John Harris
Mark and Cheryl Bondy Kaplan
John and Lauren Kern
Laurene and
Sarah Kilpatrick von Klan
Marlene and Daniel Lassman
Matt and Megan Lassman
Natalie Lebow
Adina Lerner
Joshua and Sandra Lerner
Robert B. Lifton and
Carol Rosofsky
Charlotte Lindon
Michael and Lesli Marasco
Audrey J. Mitchell
Betsy and Steve Neumann
Peter Orris
Kate Wrobel Ostrreicher
Susan Plassmeyer
Eleanor Revelle
Rachel and Stuart Rosenberg
Bettylu and Paul Saltzman
Daniel and Sandra Scheinfeld
Carol H. Schneider
Dan and Anne Shapiro
Nancy Sichert Giampietro
Judie Simpson
Lesley and Gilbert Smith,
Arborsmith Ltd.
Paul Snagel and Ruth Kerzee
Jill Viehweg
Marianne Vincent
Penny Visser and George Wu
Tom Von Geldern and
Cindy Skrukrud
Bill and Ruthanne Werner
Nancy Williams
Sallie Wolf
Barbara Zaniolo
$50 - $99
Elizabeth Adkins
Paul and Dolores Bernstein
Ellen Bowen
Belinda Brock
Eldron Corey Burbridge
Tim Burroughs and Barbara Smith
Vanessa and Charlie Clarke
Sharon Cody
Adeline Cohn
Christine DeYoung
Laurie Fleischer
Melissa Frazin
David Freedman and
Audrey Stillerman
Kevin Greene
Greenwise Organic Lawn Care
Judith and Nick Greifer
Ben Helphand
Erlene Howard
Joanne Kalnitz and Marshall Sorkin
Susan Kaplan
Sue Lannin and Albert Ettinger
Ricki and Josh Lowitz
Tom Lupfer, Lupfer Landscaping
Jim Macdonald
Sheila Meyer
Rick Moskovitz
Katy and Bob Murray
Susan S. Pastin
Mayor Barrett F. Pedersen
Arnold Pritsker
Chuck and Rachel Rosenberg
Richard Rosenberg
Mary Ross
Arlene and Andy Sagan
Sheryl and Paul Schiff
Jeff Schoenberg
Charlotte J.H. Shandley
Eberhard Veit
Tara Vosniak
Anita Weinberg and Mark Miller
Kristin and Eric Weiss
Sheila Wexler and Phil Block
Rich and Liz Whitney
Sean Wiedel
Rhonda Williams and
Thomas A. Borchert
Ann S. Wolff
$49 AND BELOW
Mary Allen
Andy and Rich Amend
Ronnie Berk
Lisa N. Bleed
Fredrica G. Brown
Elizabeth Danly Burtt
Kathryn Carley
Susan Casey
Kathleen Crane
Helen Cuprisin
Jill Danly
Judith A. Davis, Klatt, Inc.
Kevin B. Dick
Frederick Drazner
Arek Dreyer
Rosemary and Jesse Farley
Field and Flower Garden Club
Jane Friedman and Eric M. Thor
Melissa Miller Furgeson and
Houston Furgeson
John Gedeon
Dr. Alex and Mary Anne Geertsma
Carol Gifford
Beth Giuntoli
Vicki Goldberg
Jacqueline Goldsby
Lisa Gotkin
Jen Haselhorst
Cynthia M. Heck
Heather A. Jagman
Cherie Kerzee-Stames
Michael Kormanik
Brad and Michelle Kramer
Susan N. Kramer
Clare R. La Plante
Beth Lange
Winita Lau
David Lawson and
Bridget Gavaghan
Judy Levey
Rich and Holly Looney
Michelle E. Loth
Lyndsay Malmloff
Debby Mir
John and Barbara Morrison
Erin Morse
Steven Norman Mozley
Cherie Mulling
Francie and Michael Niederman
Andrea Nott
Cheryl and Mark O’Donoghue
Alderman Harry Osterman
Katherine E Pillai
Judith Pittel
Leslie Ramyk
Craig Samuels and Matthew Rice
Eliot Schencker
Trudy Schneidermann
Scott Schoeller
Luke M. Seemann
Justin Terada
Bridget Toth
Jeanne Wakenight
Andrew Weiss
Rochelle Wexler
Lisa and Lincoln Wilson
Michelle Wise
Steven Yena
2012 Foundation, Corporate
and Government Donors
The Boeing Company
Boston Foundation, Philancon Fund
Chicago Community Trust
City of Chicago
Department of Housing
and Economic Development
Cornell Douglas Foundation
EarthShare Illinois
EPA Region 5
IGive.Com
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
National Center for
Healthy Housing
Polk Bros. Foundation
Ravenswood Health Care Foundation
The Searle Funds at
The Chicago Community Trust
Wallace Genetic Foundation
Whole Foods Market
Illinois Department of Public Health
U.S. EPA
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
In-Kind Donors
Carol’s Event Staffing, Inc.
Collective Resource, Inc.
Frey Vineyards
Frye-Williamson Press, Inc.
Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Half Acre Beer Co.
Hayes Properties
Lagunitas Brewing
Ravenswood Event Center
Schaefer’s
Switchfast Technologies
Jeff Waggoner
Whole Foods Market
Thank you to the many
businesses and individuals that
donated auction items to our
annual benefit, Ladybug Bash.