Pittsfield Ward 4 City Councilor, Mike Ward, hosted an Organic Lawn Care Forum on June 20, 2007 at the Williams Elementary School in Pittsfield. BEAT co-sponsored and videotaped the event to broadcast on Pittsfield Community Television, Cable Channel 16. The panelists were (from left to right) Paul Shepardson of Paul Shepardson Landscaping, Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, Mike Ward, Matthew Cartier of Organic Scapes, Jamie Coyne and John Berndtson of Back to Nature Organic Lawn Care.

(Photos by Jane Winn, BEAT - click on thumbnail for a larger picture)

Pesticides can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; burning, stinging, itches, rashes, and blistering of the skin; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; and coughing, wheezing, headache, and general malaise. Because these symptoms are similar or identical to those caused by other illnesses, acute pesticide poisoning is often misdiagnosed. *

Exposure to pesticides are also linked with chronic illness, such as cancer, behavioral impairment, reproductive dysfunction, endocrine disruption, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, skin conditions, and respiratory diseases such as asthma.

*Pesticides and Human Health: A Resource for Health Lawn Professionals. Physicians for Social Responsibility, 2000, p 7. Gina Solomon, MD, MPH

For more information on the dangers of pesticides and fertilizers visit:

• Pesticide Watch
• Toxics Action's Refuse to Use ChemLawn
• The Truth About Cats, Dogs, and Lawn Chemicals (short videos including, in the third episode, people who belive their dogs were killed by lawn chemicals)