Communicating results is a large part of science. If you don't learn about others' experiences before beginning a project, you may find yourself reinventing the wheel. If you don't share your story, you limit your impact. In my job, a lot of communication about programs and studies happens at conferences. You’ll remember that I reported on some of the presentations I listened to at the Entomological Society of America’s (ESA) annual meeting in December.
Two weeks ago I was in Washington, D.C. at the 2nd National Bed Bug Summit. The first day was packed full of brief presentations on bed bugs—all aspects of the issue. Because each presenter only had a short amount of time, every one was to the point and there was very little repetition. Recounting it all would take…well, a whole day!
Luckily, the Federal Bed Bug Working Group, coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), thought of everything. Each presentation is now available online. I won’t ramble on this week, I’d rather you spend some time following the links I share below. If you have bed bug questions, I encourage you to download and browse through the presentation that is pertinent to you. If you want to comment on the national strategy for bed bugs, you may do so at the docket.
- National Bed Bug Summit 2 Presentations:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ppdc/bedbug-summit/2011/2nd-bedbug-summit.html - National Bed Bug Docket:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0190
Sad that you missed out on the Bed Bug Summit? I advertised it in the “Training Opportunities” page of this blog. If you're interested in attending or viewing conferences or trainings, check in on that page every once in a while. I’ll keep it updated with new opportunities. Currently, I’ve got information posted about the National Healthy Homes Conference which will be in Denver, CO in June. The deadline for early (and discounted) registration is February 28th!!
The project I coordinate for the Northeastern IPM Center (through an interagency agreement between the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture) will have a session at this conference where a property manager, resident, maintenance head, and social worker will each speak about his or her involvement on an IPM team. The program for the conference is available online. I encourage you to take a look at the diversity of healthy housing topics covered and consider attending to share your story and learn from others'.
I read more than I wanted to know. Feeling a little green, a little scared, and a little grossed out. Great post though.
Posted by: Bugs Exterminator GreenwichVillage Nyc | 07/25/2011 at 07:50 AM