Partnering for pesticide reduction Growing with Master Gardeners™ Carl Grimm Senior Solid Waste Planner METRO Resource Conservation and Recycling.

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