Education Report - 2005
PHONE
800-231-3236 (toll free)
707-285-2200 (office)
707-285-2210 (fax)
ADDRESS
595 Helman Lane
Cotati, California
94931-9736
HOURS
Monday through Friday
7:00am to 3:30pm
Closed
11:30am - 12:30pm
Supervisor: Mary Pratt, Community Education Coordinator
This year has been one of the most successful for our Education Department, with participation in more community events than ever before. Mosquito and vector control education has become a key part of introducing the District and its many activities to Marin and Sonoma county residents. This could only work as a group effort, and I am deeply grateful to all the District employees who pitched in when I couldn't attend an event or needed extra help.
Community Events
If you know of an event in your city that you think would be a good venue for mosquito control awareness, please contact me. We are always looking for ways to expand our outreach program. Below is a list of the community activities in which the District took part during 2005.
March 5 - Expanding Your Horizons; March 17 - Marin Farm Day; March 18-20 - Sonoma County Home Show; April 16-17 - Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival; April 20 - Valley of the Moon Boys and Girls Club Earth Day Fair; May 5 - Sonoma State University Health Fair; May 7 - Laguna de Santa Rosa Field Trip Presentation (John Klobas hosting); May 21 - Luther Burbank Rose Parade; May 25 - SBC Employee Safety Fair; May 28 - Petaluma Museum Garden Tour and Fish Giveaway; June 4-5 - Marin Home Show; June 9 - Cotati Community Fair; June 18 - Wedekin's Nursery Anniversary Fair and Fish Giveaway; June 18 - Stinson Beach's Ocean Migration Festival, with Surfrider Foundation; July 16 - Cotati Kid's Day Festival; July 26-August 9 - Sonoma County Fair (7,710 visitors logged in at the District's booth); September 24 - Windsor Kid's Safety Fair; October 1 - Petaluma Animal Shelter Fair.
School Programs
Our school programs were very busy, and took up most of my daily time. Toward the end of Summer, we send notices to every school in both counties announcing our two mini-courses: "Mosquito School" and "Visiting the Vectors". Registration is on a first come, first serve basis, and some teachers have signed up for many years now. But there are always new teachers and new schools, and I hope to visit more in the years to come.
This year, I visited Horicon School in Annapolis for the first time, and we were able to teach the whole school that day. Sometimes requests come in from teachers, usually from high schools, who would like a presentation tailored to fit their specific needs. Usually they ask me to speak about the District - what it does and why, Integrated Pest Management, or sometimes my own personal background and schooling and how I landed in this profession.
If you know of a school, teacher, or your child's class that would be interested in a presentation, please let me know and I will be happy to arrange a visit. If you like, I can send you an outline of the two basic mini-courses. Below is a summary of the 238 classes and 51 schools we visited during 2005:
MARIN COUNTY
(48 "Mosquito School" and 20 "Visiting the Vector" classes): Corte Madera - Neil Cummins School; Larkspur - Marin Primary and Redwood High Schools; Mill Valley - Edna Maguire, Old Mill and Tamalpais Valley Schools; Novato - Hamilton Elementary, Loma Verde, Olive and Rancho Schools; Ross - Ross School; San Anselmo - St. Anselm and Wade Thomas Elementary Schools; San Geronimo - Lagunitas School; San Rafael - James Davidson Middle School.
SONOMA COUNTY
(138 "Mosquito School" and 32 "Visiting the Vectors" sessions): Cloverdale - Jefferson Elementary School; Cotati - Rancho Cotati High School; Glen Ellen - Dunbar School; Penngrove - Penngrove Elementary School; Petaluma - Cinnabar, Grant, McNear, Meadow, Old Adobe and Two Rock Union Schools; Rohnert Park - Marguerite Hahn, La Fiesta, Monte Vista and Waldo Rohnert Schools; Santa Rosa - Bellevue, Binkley, Hidden Valley, Helen Lehman, Jack London, Lawrence Cook Middle, Mark West, Meadow View, Piner Elementary, Piner High School, John T. Rieblei, San Miguel, Sequoia, Sheppard Accelerated, Spring Creek and Wright Schools; Sebastopol - Apple Blossom and Oak Grove Elementary Schools; Sonoma - Prestwood and Sonoma Charter Schools; Windsor - Cali Calmecac Charter, Windsor Creek Elementary and Windsor Middle Schools.
Professional Training
During 2005, I took over as Continuing Education Coordinator for the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California's Coastal Region. This includes a responsibility to be sure all certified employees from each of the 11 Coastal Region districts register and attend the required Continuing Education sessions sponsored by the MVCAC Training Committee. It has been a personal learning experience and an excellent chance to share ideas with mosquito and vector control professionals from other districts.
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A typical, small classroom presentation, taught by Mary Pratt. The students love learning about mosquito biology and prevention. |
| Luther Burbank Rose Parade in Santa Rosa. Laura Royal, Jim Wanderscheid (as "vector man"), Kolleen Reeves, Joanne Towl, Erik Hawk and Mary Pratt |  |
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Supervisor Joanne Towl in her yellowjacket costume. |
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