Our Mission: The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides works to protect community and environmental health and inspire the use of ecologically sound solutions to reduce the use of pesticides.

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• Latest from the blog

  Gratitude for Our Partners

  (By Dominica Navarro, Co-Director, and NCAP Staff) As I sit at my desk writing to you and listening to the rainfall in a typically dry region east of the Cascade mountains, I feel the onset of the winter months fast approaching. These seasonal shifts have sunk deep into me, igniting a renewed attention to and observation of the beautiful and intricate relationships that exist in nature. The diversity of relations I see on the land I steward and in my own pesticide-free garden are micro-versions of the relationships I strive to build on a daily basis. They are relationships rooted in reciprocity and justice, while simultaneously creating an often hectic dance to the music of buzzing productivity. 

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  Chemical Free: A Guide To Organic Lawn Care Without Pesticides

  Photo: A healthy, green lawn with no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. (By Todd Michaels, Guest Writer) Malathion, chlorpyrifos, aldicarb—don’t let the fancy names fool you. These are some of the most common poisons used to kill pests in the United States. They get the job done, but the ecosystem and you and your family are paying the price for the ruthless efficiency of chemical pesticides. Some of the side effects of malathion are headaches, nausea, dizziness, weakness, cramps, diarrhea, excessive sweating, blurred vision, and increased heart rate. And that’s just from short-term exposure. There’s evidence showing these pesticides are putting endangered species in the Pacific Northwest at further risk. But there are ways to control the mosquitoes and mites and ants, and any other creepy, crawly, or flying thing you’d like to see gone. Here’s a quick primer on organic lawn care without pesticides.

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