FW: AUDUBON NAMES SAN ANTONIO 'HABITAT HEROES'

[Mike Quinn]

"Environmentalist organizations typically portray all insecticides as
very dangerous.  Their agenda is to instill fear and worry."

One could just as easily claim that pesticide salesmen wantonly prey upon
people's arthropod phobias... 

In reality, most governments, NGO's, schools and homeowners naturally want
to reduce biocide usage for both cost and for personal and environmental
health reasons. 

More than one million people in San Antonio rely on the Edwards Aquifer
<http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/> as their only water source. This area also
has one of the highest levels of subterranean biodiversity in the world. In
the article below, the National Audubon Society is thanking the people of
San Antonio for reducing their pesticide usage, not instilling fear and
worry. Mike Quinn

-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Haggerty [mailto:mhaggerty at wfscgate.tamu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 9:08 AM

Media Contact: 
John Bianchi
212-979-3026
Susan Hughes 
210-822-4503/862-1150 

AUDUBON NAMES SAN ANTONIO 'HABITAT HEROES' 

Mayor Ed Garza, local community leaders cited as pioneers and models for new
national initiative 

San Antonio, TX, June 26th, 2001 - Today the National Audubon Society
presented the City of San Antonio, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, San
Antonio Water System, and Alamo Area Master Naturalists with "Habitat Hero"
awards for their commitment to native plants and reduced-pesticide
landscaping. The awards are part of a nationwide Audubon initiative called
Healthy Habitats: Backyards, Schoolyards and Beyond aimed at reducing
pesticide use and creating healthy habitats. Audubon chose San Antonio to be
one of three campaign launch cities because of residents' level of
commitment to and interest in innovative landscaping practices. 

"Audubon is proud to recognize the extraordinary work going on in San
Antonio," said Frank Gill, Audubon's Senior Vice President for Science. "We
believe the city's reduction of pesticide use and commitment to native
plants serve as a model for the rest of the country." 

Audubon launched its national campaign in response to startling new data on
bird mortality. In 2000, prompted by concern about the spread of West Nile
Virus, New York State asked counties to report dead birds to its wildlife
pathology laboratory. After receiving more than 80,000 birds, the lab
discovered that, while virus was a factor in some deaths, the leading cause
was pesticide poisoning, responsible for 48 percent of birds tested. 

"San Antonio is a beautiful place to live," said San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza.
"We believe that through the city's efforts to reduce pesticide use, it's
also a safer place." 

In addition to calling on organizations and businesses to reduce pesticide
use, Audubon is urging individuals to consider changing the way they care
for their lawns. Through introducing native plants and using alternatives to
pesticides, Americans can maintain an attractive, healthy yard that is safer
for children and wildlife. 

"We've seen that San Antonio residents are eager to use a reduced-pesticide
approach to their lawns. Oftentimes the only stumbling block is how to get
started," said Sherry Hess, President of Alamo Area Master Naturalists, a
volunteer group that works with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "We
can give them some fantastic ideas about how to incorporate wildscaping into
their plans, thus reducing the need for pesticides and water, while
encouraging native wildlife." 

Audubon's national initiative Healthy Habitats: Backyards, Schoolyards and
Beyond is aimed at quantifiably reducing pesticide use nationwide by working
with neighborhoods and communities, engaging local businesses, and
supporting local and state legislation that reduces backyard pesticide use. 

"Working with other local groups to bring environmental issues to the fore
in San Antonio has been incredibly rewarding," said Susan Hughes, an officer
of Baxer Audubon and a member of the state and national Audubon boards.
"Through our quarterly San Antonio Environmental Network forums and annual
South Texas Farm & Range Forum, we hope to further increase the public's
awareness of the need to decrease pesticide use." 

Founded in 1905 and supported by 600,000 members in 510 chapters throughout
the Americas, the National Audubon Society conserves and restores natural
ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, and their habitats, for
the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mike Quinn
Invertebrate Biologist
Wildlife Diversity Branch
Texas Parks & Wildlife
3000 I-35 South, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78704
Phone, Fax: 512-912-7059, -7058 
mike.quinn at tpwd.state.tx.us
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/nature.htm

 
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