Welcome to the Pesticide Free Zone

by Philip Dickey

Have you been wishing for a way to identify your home landscape as free from toxic pesticides? Well, we've got good news. Welcome to the Pesticide Free Zone, a project to mark unsprayed landscapes with attractive signs (see illustration). Originating in Marin County, California, the signs are being brought to Washington by the Washington Toxics Coalition. We're hoping to get thousands of these signs out there in neighborhoods to show that we are gardening naturally.

The eight-inch diameter aluminum signs are permanent and have two mounting holes that allow them to be attached to a stake, fence, or wall or hung from a wire. The cost will be $7.50 each, including shipping and Washington State sales tax. Some retail stores in the Seattle area will also be selling the signs. If you pick up the signs at our office or at our table at an event, you will save $1.00. The sign comes with three fact sheets: What's Wrong with Using Pesticides?, Talking to your Neighbor about Pesticides, and the Pesticide Free Zone Sign Owners Manual. In addition, purchasers of the sign will receive a one-time discount on our popular Home Safe Home fact sheets.

One of the questions we're being asked frequently is: What does "pesticide free" mean? Ideally, this means that no chemical pest controls at all are used. However, we consider the use of organically certified materials and EPA-exempt pesticides to be compatible with our philosophy because we want to encourage manufacturers to develop safer products. We distribute the signs on the honor system. We don't ask or monitor what materials you use. If you feel that the sign accurately reflects your practices, you should display it. Should you have questions about the suitability of any products, please feel free to call the Toxics Coalition for more information at 206-632-1545. To get your signs, you can mail in a check or contact our office by phone. Our address is Washington Toxics Coalition, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue N, Suite 540, Seattle, WA 98103. Alternatively, you can visit our website (www.watoxics.org), print out the special order form, and mail it in. If you want to get a pile of signs for your neighborhood or for friends and relatives, let us know and we'll make arrangements to get them to you. You are setting an excellent example for your neighbors by not using pesticides, and you have a right to be proud. We hope you'll display your sign right away and be willing to share your philosophy and your techniques with your friends and neighbors.

Philip Dickey is Staff Scientist at the Washington Toxics Coalition.