New Jersey Town Limits Pesticide Use
The first park in Bernards, New Jersey, was branded pesticide-free this week, with a sign erected at Pleasant Valley Park letting all visitors know that “pests” will be kept away by more natural means.
Bernards became the 27th New Jersey municipality to enforce integrated pest management and will be adding the signs at other parks in the near future. Since December, the town has been practicing integrated pest management, which involves strategically locating plants and understanding the life cycle of local insects.
The ladybug is just one of many beneficial insects that keep pests in check. Photo: srgc.org.uk
The new sign was donated by the New Jersey Environmental Federation and marked with a ladybug because it “is a universal example of a beneficial insect,” said Jane Nogaki, pesticide program coordinator for the federation.
The next step for Bernards is addressing pesticide use for athletic fields, which typically use synthetic chemicals to keep the grass green. The county is consulting with landscapers to investigate organic options.
While pesticides have health issues for humans, they also raise environmental concerns because they can be washed into waterways during rainfall. In addition, water treatment plants are not designed to remove pesticides.
This also makes pesticide disposal a challenge because they are not recyclable. You can find a place to properly dispose of pesticides and their containers using Earth911.
