Boston Flora

Tag: neonicotinoids

  • Tuesday, July 25, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Alternatives to Traditional Lawns

    According to NASA scientists, in the United States more surface area is covered by lawn than by any other single irrigated crop. Traditionally managed lawns are resource-heavy, requiring irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in our climate. Despite the “costs” lawns and turf are a predominant feature of the landscape and are valued for recreation as well aesthetics. With growing environmental awareness along with new regulations, it is imperative that responsible homeowners as well as lawn and turf professionals manage lawns and turf in the most ecological manner. Following emerging best practices, it’s possible to create healthy lawns and turf that are functional and aesthetic and are managed in a way that eliminates negative impact on health and the environment, meets regulatory guidelines, and is cost effective.

    When considering ecological lawns, one solution that is gaining momentum is to reduce or remove lawns in favor or more biodiverse alternatives. On Tuesday, July 25, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, from 1 – 5, join New England Wild Flower Society for a full afternoon of lectures.

    Ecological Lawns – No Longer an Inferior Compromise by Joe Magazzi (Not Yet Confirmed)

    Joe Magazzi from Green Earth Ag & Turf will discuss best practices for ecological lawns including updates on organic fertility, with a focus on using soil biology to reduce fertilizer inputs. He will also briefly cover advances in biologicals for lawn disease and pest control. Organics and IPM are no longer a compromise, this is quickly becoming the best practice.

    How Do Plant Nutrient Regulations Affect Me? by Mary Owen

    Developing and implementing a soil and nutrient management program based on best management practices is critical to the proper management of turf with environmental protection, natural resource preservation, and economic viability as priorities. Regulations regarding the sale, use, and application of fertilizer and nutrients on non-agricultural turf and in the landscape have been enacted by many states and communities. Mary Owen will provide an overview of how the new legislation impacts homeowners and landscape practitioners and will discuss strategies for implementing best nutrient management practices for turf with protection of water resources as the priority.

    Protecting Pollinators – Proposed Legislation: Information and Impact by Dan Bensonoff (Not Yet Confirmed)

    What are neonicotinoids and how are they currently regulated? Neonicotinoids are a synthetic form of nicotine that attacks receptors in insects’ nervous systems. Unfortunately, this broad-spectrum (harmful to most insects), systemic (taken up by all plant parts, including roots and flowers), and persistent pesticide (sticks around in the environment for a long time) is also harming our pollinators. The European Union suspended most uses of these pesticides in 2013 but the US EPA opted to allow current uses of neonicotinoids to continue while it conducts reviews through 2019. Proposed Massachusetts legislation H.4187 would regulate Neonicotinoids including: mandatory applicator training/certification, application timing, establishment of a commission to investigate pollinator health, and notification of pollinator risk to property owners. Dan Bensonoff from NOFA will discuss the proposed legislation including the ways that this would protect pollinators.

    Kill Your Lawn by Mark Richardson

    Even if sustainable lawn management is being used, fuel for power mowers, toxic emissions, water consumption, and your weekend time are all part of the cost of lawn maintenance. Mark Richardson introduces us to an ecological approach that is gaining momentum, to reduce the size or eliminate lawns. Smaller lawns that are replaced with more biodiverse native plants can benefit the environment while saving time, energy, and expense. Aesthetically appealing and ecological alternatives include native groundcovers, meadows, and mixed gardens with perennial and shrubs.

    $30 for NEWFS members, $40 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/alternatives-to-traditional-lawns.

  • Tuesday, June 17, 7:30 am – 9:00 am – To Bee or Not to Bee: What is Killing Our Bees?

    June’s Sustainable Concord Coffee focuses on the importance of bees and why they have been dying off across the country. Bees are vital contributors, through pollination, to agriculture. Pinpointing the cause is crucial to mitigating this problem since bees are prime pollinators of roughly one-third of all crops worldwide. Research suggests that certain commonly used pesticides may be responsible. A new Harvard University School of Public Health study released on May 9, strengthens the link between neonicotinoids and collapse of honey bee colonies. Our presenters are well qualified to speak to the issue of bee death.

    Dr. Richard Callahan is a beekeeper and retired entomologist, he holds a doctorate in pesticide toxicology. Working with Dr. Chensung Lu, an Associate Professor of Environmental Biology at Harvard University and Ken Worchol, a state bee inspector in Worcester County, he was involved in conducting the three year study of the impact on multiple bee colonies of a pesticide called Imidacloprid, manufactured by the Monsanto and Bayer Corporations.

    Mark Hanson is a Concord beekeeper, who kept bees since 1970, first in Stow and then, for twenty-five years, in Concord. He found the decimation of his bee hives due to Colony Collapse Disorder so worrisome that he stopped keeping them in 2012. He reports that other beekeepers throughout Middlesex County are having similar problems. What actions can we take?

    The ConcordCAN! Sustainable Concord Coffee is Tuesday, June 17, from 7:30- 9AM at Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main Street in West Concord. Light refreshments are provided. Free and open to the public. There is a large shared parking lot with a childrens’ center and church. For more information go to: www.concordcan.org. Image from www.advocacy.brittanica.com.