The 2020 IPM Achievement Awards

Back to IPM Achievement Awards

The 2020 Awardees are:

All Kids Academy Head Start, Inc.

All Kids Academy (AKA) Head Start, Inc. has created an exemplary pest management program at their 14 child care centers. AKA Head Start, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing child care services in the San Diego area. Their IPM program focuses on strong communication, careful monitoring, and active prevention to manage pests. AKA Head Start, Inc. partners with experts to find the most effective, lower-risk options to protect the children in their care from pests and pesticide risk. AKA Head Start, Inc. sets the bar for IPM implementation and Healthy Schools Act compliance at child care programs in California.

Watch the award video for All Kids Academy Head Start, Inc.

More information is available at https://akaheadstart.org/ or by contacting:
Debbie Sanchez, Program Specialist
Email: dsanchez@akaheadstart.org

Humane Wildlife Control Inc.

Humane Wildlife Control Inc., a pest management company located in Monterey County, is committed to using humane and ecological pest management for structural rodent and wildlife management. The company does not use any rodenticides. Instead, they use live-trapping, one-way exits, and biological control to remove and exclude rodents. According to Rebecca Dmytryk, co-founder of Humane Wildlife Control Inc., the non-chemical methods used by the company are effective long-term and prevent re-infestation. Humane Wildlife Control Inc. has demonstrated that humane and ecological pest management, as a business strategy, is achievable and successful.

Watch the award video for Humane Wildlife Control Inc.
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator John Laird

More information is available at https://humanecontrol.com/ or by contacting:
Rebecca Dmytryk, CEO
Email: help@humanecontrol.com

Michael Baefsky

For his career-long dedication to IPM advocacy and education, Michael Baefsky is being honored with the first DPR Lifetime IPM Achievement Award. Through his landscaping consulting firm, Trees, Bugs, Dirt, Mr. Baefsky provides professional IPM consulting with an emphasis on developing site-specific IPM plans for public and private entities. Throughout his career, he has held advisory positions in the Bay Area in which he helped develop many IPM publications. Mr. Baefsky recently worked with the San Francisco Department of the Environment to co-author Pest Prevention by Design – Landscapes, an interactive IPM model that focuses on designing landscapes to prevent pest invasions. Michael Baefsky’s ongoing dedication to IPM implementation through professional, advisory, and teaching endeavors has enriched and will continue to benefit the people and environment of California.

Watch the award video for Michael Baefsky.
Watch the congratulatory video from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

More information is available at www.treesbugsdirt.com or by contacting:
Michael Baefsky, Owner &: Operator of Trees, Bugs, Dirt
Email: treesbugsdirt@gmail.com

Phytophthoras in Native Habitats Work Group

The Phytophthoras in Native Habitats Work Group formed in 2015 to minimize the spread of Phytophthora pathogens in restoration sites and native plant nurseries. Phytophthora pathogens are devastating to plants in habitat restoration areas and forest settings. This Work Group has completed five years of research on the Phytophthoras pathogen and used this research to create comprehensive, best management practices for managing Phytophthoras in nursery settings. Their adaptive IPM practices aim to halt the pathogen’s spread in nurseries and natural areas. Through extensive research and effective outreach efforts to share their resources, the Phytophthoras in Native Habitats Work Group has made commendable progress and long-lasting impacts in minimizing the spread of Phytophthoras.

Watch the award video for Phytophthoras in Native Habitats Work Group.
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator Mike McGuire
Watch the congratulatory video from Assemblyman Marc Levine

More information is available at https://www.suddenoakdeath.org/ or by contacting:
Janice Alexander, Co-chairperson and facilitator
Email: jalexander@ucanr.edu

Spray Application Pest Management Alliance Team

Through extensive training and outreach efforts, the Spray Application Pest Management Alliance Team aims to minimize the incidence of agricultural pesticide drift and reduce the risk of pesticide illness. The Team developed an Air Blast Sprayer Calibration training program to increase pesticide applicators’ adoption of best practices when using air blast sprayers. The in-person training program was adapted into an interactive online course that offers practical experience in key training topics. The highly effective training and extensive outreach completed by the Spray Application Pest Management Alliance Team has delivered benefits well beyond the intended audience.

Watch the award video for Spray Application Pest Management Alliance Team.

More information is available at https://ucanr.edu or by contacting:
Lynn Wunderlich, Farm Advisor
Email: lrwunderlich@ucanr.edu

For content questions, contact:
Michelle Andreetta
1001 I Street, P.O. Box 4015
Sacramento, CA 95812-4015
Phone: (916) 324-4245
E-mail: achieve@cdpr.ca.gov