(By Megan Dunn, Healthy People and Communities Program Director) The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore may have you thinking about ways to prevent creatures from stirring! And for good reason. Mice are thought to be responsible for 20-25% of house fires. They can damage wires and dwellings and spread disease, so it's important in every season to control rodents in your house, apartment or condo.  Continue reading

Thanksgiving stories usually overlook the history of the Pacific Northwest tribes. While the memories of turkey and cranberries are still fresh, think for a moment about what happened in the Northwest. Continue reading

(by Sharon Selvaggio, Healthy Wildlife and Water Program Director)This blog is the first in a series that will explore new pesticide technologies – and what they mean for your health.   Pesticides are those nasty chemicals that come in jugs at the garden store, right? Not always. Research and development in “plant protection” is resulting in a slew of emerging technologies straight out of science fiction. Merging genetics with biochemistry, the industry is figuring out how to force living things to produce their own pesticides. Continue reading

Organic agriculture and other conservation programs help keep harmful pesticides out of our water. This benefits our multi-billion dollar West Coast salmon fishery, and makes agriculture safer for people, too.   Continue reading

Test your soil in early winter for a happy, organic, spring garden. You’ve harvested your garden and composted any leftover debris. Aside from maybe a rake, you’ve put away your tools for the winter and are enjoying a cup of hot chocolate on the couch. But hold up a minute. There are a few tasks you might have missed that will help you out in the spring and will eliminate the need for synthetic fertilizers and weed killers. Continue reading