2009 LESS
TOXIC LANDSCAPING
RESOURCE
DIRECTORY
(For Rhode Island &
Southeastern New England)
IT’S BACK! IT’S
NEWLY FORMATTED AND REVISED. BEST OF
ALL, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT IS FREE!
This Helpful Guide lists Organic-Friendly Sources For Supplies,
Services & Information, so you can find all you need for healthful
landscaping & gardening.
LEARN
ABOUT HEALTHIER LAND CARE!
Get
started by reading this little info flyer, then get an LTL Directory copy from
TIP’s booth at an event this Spring.
Call for schedule. You’ll also
find it, starting in March, at many local libraries and on the TIP
website.
DONATIONS OF ANY SIZE WILL HELP SUPPORT
THE PRODUCTION OF THIS RESOURCE
Published by
Toxics Information Project (TIP)
P.O. Box
40572, Providence, RI 02940
Tel.
401-351-9193, E-Mail: ltl@toxicsinfo.org
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
Compiled
& Edited by Liberty Goodwin, TIP Director
WHY LESS
TOXIC LANDSCAPING?
WHY NOT USE PESTICIDES IN MY YARD?
**PESTICIDES ARE POISON. That’s why they are used –
they kill things (bugs, bacteria, plants – and animals).
**HUMANS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO PESTICIDES. Animal testing is done because the canary or rat will show
results sooner, & human testing is dangerous, and unethical. Nevertheless, many studies show that serious
health effects are associated with exposure to toxic chemicals in commonly used
pesticide products.
**LOW LEVELS = SLOW POISONING. Large amounts of toxic chemicals cause acute, immediate
reactions, even death. Smaller, dilute
exposures cause damage over time.
**YOU, YOUR KIDS & PETS – ARE THE GUINEA PIGS. The pattern is simple.
Most testing is not done by government, (and companies have been
successfully sued for lying about safety findings). Products are approved for marketing, based on manufacturers’
claims. Years later, some of them are
removed from the market because they have proved to be dangerous to animals,
the environment, or humans. DDT &
Dursban are examples. Others are in
process of removal.
**ANYONE FOR A CHEMICAL COCKTAIL? What
you put on your lawn winds up in the ground water, and you may be drinking
it. Studies are finding household
chemicals, including pesticides, in streams and wells. Most
municipal water treatment does not remove them.
HOW ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS & LOOKS? AND COST!)
**PESTICIDES ARE A QUICK FIX THAT FADES. They provide instant gratification, but long term, they are
not really good for your lawn. Natural
means, in general, take a bit longer to “work”, but offer more long-lasting
solutions. Cost, however, goes on
forever with pesticide-based gardening.
Organic land care often becomes less expensive when it is established.
**ORGANIC HAS HAD CENTURIES OF TESTING. Folks
have been gardening and farming organically for thousands of years. Today, they are doing it even better.
**THE NATIVES LIKE THE CLIMATE! Native
plant species, an important part of less-toxic gardening, thrive in local
conditions. They have fewer problems,
& require less care than fragile foreigners.
**LAWNS ARE DULL! The typical American lawn,
consisting of thousands of little green shoots, all sporting the same crew cut,
isn’t really exciting to see. It’s
rather like a toxic green rug. Bushes,
shrubs, flowers, rocks, bricks, and other alternative landscaping options, can
be unique, creative, exciting!
**HEALTHY
KIDS AND PETS AT PLAY DELIGHT THE EYE AND WARM THE HEART! How
much is it worth to have the peace of mind of knowing your favorite critters
can romp and roll around in your yard without being exposed to dangerous
toxins?
LINKS TO PESTICIDE INFORMATION ON TIP’S WEBSITE
HEALTH EFFECTS
OF 36 COMMONLY USED LAWN PESTICIDES
A Beyond
Pesticides/NCAMP Fact Sheet
www.toxicsinfo.org/LTL/LawnPesticideRisks/LawnPsChart.htm
LAWN-CARE PESTICIDES THREATEN HUMAN HEALTH &
ENVIRONMENT:
Environment
and Human Health, Inc.
research report.
www.toxicsinfo.org/Lawn/Lawn%20Pesticides%20Threat.htm
Lawn Pesticide Facts and Figures www.toxicsinfo.org/Lawn/Lawn%20Pesticide%20Facts%20&%20Figures.htm
NEW YORK
SUES DOW FOR CALLING DURSBAN SAFE
PANUPS -
Pesticide Action Network Updates Service, 4-18-03
www.toxicsinfo.org/pests/new_york_sues_dow.htm
PESTICIDES AND CANCER
www.toxicsinfo.org/Lawn/Pesticides%20&%20Cancer.htm
PYRETHROIDS: NOT AS SAFE AS YOU THINK www.toxicsinfo.org/pests/Pyrethroids.htm
USEFUL GARDENING/LANDSCAPING
HELP LINKS & PHONE NUMBERS
(Just a sampling. See
the LTL Directory for more details & listings)
Beyond Pesticides, Washington, DC, 202-543-5450, www.beyondpesticides.org. Pesticide-Free Lawns Coalition, www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns
Garden Guys Talk Show, www.garden-guys.com/audio.html
features hosts Sam Jeffries, Jim Zoppo, & Layanee
DeMerchant Sunday mornings/ Call in at Toll Free 888-443-9473.
Gardens Are…, Marlborough, MA, Organic Landscaping
& News Forum. Tel. 888-526-7771 http://forums.gardensare.com/
Good Earth Organic Gardening Center, 1800 Scituate Ave.,
Cranston, RI goodearth@cox.net ,
401-826-3130
Green Circle
Design, Kate Lacouture, Providence, RI,
www.greencircledesign.net kate@greencircledesign.net Tel.
401-421-9599. All Organic, Consulting, Design, -Alternatives to Lawn.
HomeAssist
(URI),
401-874-5398, www.healthylandscapes.org
Master Gardener Program, www.urimga.org Call the Master Gardener
Hotline, 800-448-with gardening questions.
Organic Land Care Program, PO Box
164, Stevenson CT. www.organiclandcare.net. Also find accredited professionals, at: www.organiclandcare.net/AOLCP/statelist.php
RI Wild Plant
Society www.riwps.org Tel. (401) 789-7497,: office@riwps.org
Bio Tech Pest Control, David Jones, 42 Canal Street, Westerly RI 02891,
401-315-2494, www.saferyardcare.com
Thompson
Organic Landscaping, Paul Thompson, Providence, RI, Tel. 401-861-3616. All Organic, Consulting, Design,
Installation, Maintenance, Plant Health Care, Restoration
Wood River Evergreens, Frank Crandall, 101 Woodville Rd., Hope Valley, RI.
401-364-3387, www.woodriverevergreens.com,