Public Interest: April 2008 Archives

April 22, 2008 marks the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, a day devoted to thinking about this third planet from the sun that we all share.  Here are a few links that you might want to look at while Earth Day is on your mind.

Texas IPM - Integrated Pest Management is a pest management system that combines the proper identification of pests, determining if an identified pest is truly causing a problem, assessing if the pest is causing an economic loss, and then finding a proper method for control (proper methods could be chemical, physical, or biological in nature).

Earth Kind - Earth Kind is a homeowner gardening program designed to combine traditional and organic practices to promote environmental responsibility along with aesthetic enjoyment.

Organic Farming Regulations - The Texas Department of Agriculture regulates the Organic Certificaiton program for crops and livestock in the state.  For more information on what is involved in transitioning from a traditional to an organic farm, see this site and its links.

USDA NRCS - The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has several environmental programs that farmers can sign up for to conserve soil, reduce erosion, improve wetlands and riparian areas, and enhance wildlife habitat on private lands. 

The Sabine-Neches Resource Conservation and Development Area, the City of Tyler, Keep Tyler Beautiful, and Smith County are teaming up to provide a FREE Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 9 AM to 2 PM in the parking lot of the Harvey Convention Center in Tyler. 

View the following flier for what you CAN and CAN NOT bring to the event: HHW Flyer.pdf

From April 28 to May 6, 2008, Smith County Veterinarians and Community Leaders will be teaming up to conduct 21 low cost Rabies Vaccination Clinics for dogs and cats.  Weekday clinics will be held at 7 PM.  The Saturday clinics will be held at 2 PM.  Cost is $7 per dog or cat vaccinated.  Participants are asked to bring correct change with them to the clinic and to keep their pets on a leash or in a kennel at all times.  The linked file that follows provides the dates for each specific location.

2008RabiesWebSchedule.pdf