February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, which is fitting as we run from town to town to train our applicators. National Pesticide Safety Education Month is a chance to focus on protecting our homes, protecting our natural resources, actualization of conservation efforts, successful crops, and the protection of our families and agricultural workers. Pesticide safety training is one of the most important things we do as educators. We teach the laws and regulations to prevent our farmers from getting fined for misuse. We share new methods of pest management and new application technology. With more than 45 million acres of land in Nebraska dedicated to agriculture and over 47,000 farms, the most important part of pesticide safety education is that we teach farmers how to protect themselves and protect the land they manage.
During this month, the Nebraska PSEP encourages educators to check out some resources that may further your knowledge on pesticide safety.
https://pesticidestewardship.org/national-pesticide-safety-education-month/take-the-quiz/
The Pesticide Environmental Stewardship website houses a wealth of resources to learn about pesticide safety education and test your current knowledge. Different tabs on the website explore things such as disposal, integrated pest management, drift, and PPE.
We would also like to encourage educators who are interested to join the professional organization called the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE). This organization is a combination of industry, regulatory, and education professionals from across the nation. Not only do they provide opportunities to connect with other states on pesticide safety and education but they also have biannual conferences that share new technology, regulations, and so much more.
If any educators are interested in joining the organization, please contact the PSEP Office for more information.