Enjoying a meal outside in late summer can be nearly impossible if yellowjackets or other wasps have taken up residence nearby. They eat your food and can be aggressive. Yellowjacket behavior makes them difficult to love, but remember that they are an important part of the ecosystem, too. Yellowjackets feed their young large numbers of insects that might otherwise damage trees or crops. They also feed their young houseflies, and lots of them. This means that when nesting in areas of little human or animal activity, just leave them alone. For areas near your home, try these steps to reduce populations. Need expert advice for a tough pest problem? Check out our sliding scale, tailored services! Continue reading

By Glen Spain, NW Regional Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) More methylmercury. More arsenic. More polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). If we value human health, why on Earth would EPA significantly increase the allowed amounts of three of the most dangerous and persistent chemicals known – along with more lead and various industrial chemicals – in the water we drink, the lakes in which we swim, the rivers from which we fish and the fish we eat? Continue reading

By Francesca Anton, NCAP supporter It is May 2030.  Springtime has now reached the outer edges of its big burst of glory in Oregon City.    As with so many other cities in the U.S. and around the world, residents in every neighborhood here are enjoying the fruits of their efforts after making a collaborative commitment just over a decade ago to develop native garden habitat and discontinue the use of toxic pesticides at home, inside and out.    Continue reading

By Sharon Selvaggio, Healthy Wildlife & Water Program Director On the TV commercial, the Roundup-wielding suburban dad looks tough and capable. The chemical stream he aims immediately withers the upstart weeds growing in the cracks of his driveway. Within seconds, everything spic and span, he proudly swaggers back inside. Continue reading

By Ashley Chesser, Communications & Development Director I proudly survey the messy kaleidoscope of green hues before me. By the end of June, as sunlight clings to the final hours of each day, the fruits (or veggies!) of my labor finally manifest as more than stubborn remnants of dirt underneath my fingernails. Kale and chard are nearly ready for a stir fry, and the lettuce and spinach have started participating in salads. My two young daughters devour raspberries daily. Continue reading