<strong>Amy Joyce, the co-founder of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Healthy-Communities-Project-319073711471912/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Healthy Communities Project</a>, has worked to reduce the synthetic lawn pesticide use in her community of Whitefish Bay, WI for many years and played a vital role in establishing the pesticide free <a href="https://www.wfbvillage.org/facilities/facility/details/Klode-Park-2">Klode Park</a>. Amy will share her experiences working with the Village of Whitefish Bay at the Midwest Grows Green Healthy Lawns Fundraiser, October 29<sup>th</sup>, and during our public <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3622896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Policymaking and Community Engagement Panel</a> at the <a href="https://urbanecologycenter.org/our-branches/riverside-park.html">Urban Ecology Center at Riverside Park</a> earlier that day from 12:35 pm to 1:45 pm.  MPAC’s Assistant Director and Communications Manager, Ryan Anderson, interviewed Amy to learn what she needed to do to reduce toxins in her community and discuss her excitement for our many events on October 29<sup>th</sup>.  </strong>

<em>Ryan Anderson: What is the Healthy Communities Project?</em>

<em>Amy Joyce</em>: Healthy Communities Project is a Whitefish Bay, WI advocacy group, founded in 2002 in response to the extremely high pesticide usage and breast cancer rate in our community and a growing concern that we and our children were being regularly exposed to toxins.

<em>RA: How did you initially engage your community on the issue of lawn pesticides?</em>

Our first efforts focused on compiling only the most reputable, objective research studies on pesticides and human health.  Our first community forum included a presentation by <a href="https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/bios/hines.htm">Dr. Ronald Hines</a>, then- Director of the Birth Defects Research Center of Wisconsin.  We continued bringing in medical and toxicology experts to speak at board meetings on the dangers associated with pesticide exposure, and although we got the attention and support of some of our village and school board members, we continued to get resistance largely because pesticides played such a primary role in maintaining the village aesthetic.

<em>RA: Can you elaborate on the role pesticides played in Whitefish Bay?</em>

It quickly became clear to us that Whitefish Bay, as in many other communities, had seen a shrinking municipal budget while green space usage continued to skyrocket due to the ever-increasing number of private sports clubs requesting field usage.  We, also, discovered that the private sports clubs using the most public field space and incurring the most turf damage were not contributing equitably to repair the damage.  This scenario often results in a perfect storm of over-usage and little money for sound cultural practices to maintain strong, healthy turf.  For these reasons, pesticides have become a popular go-to for budget starved grounds departments, but they only add to the problem by risking public health, further sterilizing the soil, and adding to soil compaction toxic runoff.  They create the illusion of healthy turf, but are not a solution.

<em>RA: So how did you respond to the resistance and perception that pesticides were needed in Whitefish Bay?</em>

Our primary strategies were to continue bringing forth reputable scientific studies and experts and, as they say, “Bring something to the party.”  We’ve held firm to our belief that we would not just complain about pesticide use, but would focus on bringing sound solutions to the table through proper turf management training.  We sought out nationally known organic turf management expert, <a href="https://osborneorganics.com/about-chip-osborne-jr/">Chip Osborne</a>, to not only train us, but to offer professional-level trainings for area municipal and school district grounds managers and lawn care companies interested in adding an organic management component to their business models.  We’ve brought together all green space stake holders to build green space management plans that consider all user groups, as well as each area’s usage and turf management needs.  In addition to all of the above, we’ve successfully changed the conversation from talking strictly about pesticides versus no pesticides and no weeds versus weeds to one that focuses on sound, safe, sustainable land management solutions and how to properly budget for it, with all user groups having input.

<em>RA: What advice would you offer to individuals trying to push for pesticide reform in their community?</em>

Proper green space management requires regular planning, budget dollars, accountability and oversight on an annual basis.  We’ve seen first hand how doing this results in healthier, more sustainable public green space!

<em>RA: What do you look forward to during our upcoming Midwest Grows Green Lawn &amp; Land Forum workshop October 29<sup>th</sup>? </em>

As the Co-Founder and Director of Healthy Communities Project, I’m very excited to share my advocacy and organic turf management experience as both a panelist and presenter at the upcoming Lawn and Land Forum workshop.  This all-day event promises to provide a wealth of education, knowledge sharing, and networking for anyone interested in furthering the organic lawn and land care initiative in their communities or businesses.

<em>You can hear from Amy at one of two events October 29<sup>th</sup>. First, at our MGG Lawn &amp; Land Forum Workshop, Amy will present during our free and public Policymaking and Community Engagement panel at the Urban Ecology Center at Riverside Park.  Register at bit.ly/LLFwkspPolicy. Second, you can meet Amy at MPAC’s MGG Healthy Lawns Fundraiser from 5 to 8 pm at Good City Brewing. Tickets are available at bit.ly/MGGfundraiser18</em>