USDA-APHIS has launched Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, and we urge our partners in Extension to help get the word out using the outreach resources already created and ready to use as part of USDA’s Hungry Pests outreach program. Those resources are available online at http://www.hungrypests.com/partner-tools/ and are outlined in the attached flyer (http://go.unl.edu/zyb). In addition, Extension Educators can begin today and all week by promoting the following resources via social media and their Web sites:
USA Today Article on the Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month: Invasive pests cost Americans millions
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/01/invasive-pests-cost-americans-millions/2035711/
Hungry Pests Online Engagement Activity
See How They Spread: Explore the top eight ways that Hungry Pests get around. Learn what you can do to help stop them.
http://www.hungrypests.com/how-they-spread/
USDA Blog: A Day in Your Life with Invasive Species
http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/04/02/a-day-in-your-life-with-invasive-species/
USDA Press Release: USDA Dedicates April to Increasing Awareness on How to Stop Invasive Pests from Spreading
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2013/04/pest_awareness_month.shtml
If you need any assistance or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Greg Rosenthal at Gregory.J.Rosenthal@aphis.usda.gov. Please send us anything from your states that you’d like us to promote during this month: YouTube videos, publications, Web pages, events, etc. We’d be happy to promote those that are appropriate for the Hungry Pests outreach program.
Thank you for being our partners in the battle against invasive plant pests and diseases!
Regards,
Greg Rosenthal | Public Affairs Specialist | Legislative and Public Affairs
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture
4700 River Road, Unit 51
Riverdale, MD 20737
Voice (NEW!): (301) 851-4054, Cell: (301) 538-9189, Fax: (301) 734-5221
Gregory.J.Rosenthal@aphis.usda.gov