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News You Can Use

April 25, 2008

Seedlings for Schools 

Pennsylvania schools are being invited to participate in the Seedlings for Schools program, a joint venture between the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the Wildlife for Everyone Endowment Foundation.   

Third grade students will participate in the program by planting seedlings at home, on school grounds, or in their community.  The program focuses on the vital role of trees in the environment.   

The seedlings are provided free by the PGC and the shipping costs are covered by Waste Management, the Wildlife for Everyone Endowment Foundation, Pheasants Forever Chapter 603, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Mealey's Furniture.   

Landowners may be interested in participating in another of the PGC's seedlings programs, Seedlings for Wildlife Habitat.  Since 1954, the PGC's Howard Nursery has produced and shipped anywhere from two to eight million seedlings annually.  Twenty-four different species are for sale through the Seedlings for Wildlife Habitat program; access Frequently Asked Questions, seedling information, and an order form for the landowners program.   

Rural Roads Safety Week Reminders 

Whether you are taking a casual drive through the country or you are on your way to work or an appointment, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is reminding motorists to be aware, cautious, and careful as tractors and farm equipment are once again traveling our roadways.  The PDA has declared Rural Roads Safety Week across the state. 

The PDA is offering a few tips for sharing the roads with the agricultural community: 

• Anticipate the presence of farm equipment from April through November.
• Observe the orange triangle on the rear of a vehicle indicating a slow moving vehicle (SMV).
• Pass farm vehicles with caution. 
• Assume the farmer does not know you are there; alert the farmer by blowing your horn. 
• Do not pass if your view or the view of oncoming vehicles is blocked.  
• Never assume a farm vehicle that pulls to the right side of the road is going to turn right, or that it is okay to pass.  The size of the equipment dictates the farmer move to the right before making a wide left turn. 

Consult the PA Farm Bureau Rural Roads Safety brochure for tips for motorists and farmers.

Consumer Warning for Dietary Drink Supplement 

If you have bottles of the dietary drink supplement Total Body Formula or Total Body Mega Formula, the Pennsylvania Department of Health wants you to discard the products as a result of reports of numerous cases of acute poisoning.   

An excess of selenium and chromium have been found in the 8- and 32-ounce bottles of tropical orange and peach nectar flavors of Total Body Formula and the 32-ounce bottles of orange/tangerine Total Body Mega Formula.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined the products contain 200 times the amount of selenium indicated on the label.  Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral that can boost the immune system when taken in very small amounts; not 40,800 micrograms per serving, as is the case with the recalled drinks.   

After 5 – 10 days of daily ingestion, consumers suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue.  An excess of selenium can cause hair loss, nail brittleness, neurological abnormalities, and kidney and liver dysfunction.   

Pennsylvania is one of at least 15 states in which the recalled items had been distributed to retailers or sold via direct mail order to stores and customers.  You may call the FDA's toll-free food safety hotline at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.  All suspected cases of selenium poisoning should be reported to local and county health departments or the state health center, or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH. 

More information about selenium and its toxic effects is available through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Boating Safety Courses Spring Up 

Planning on doing some boating this spring?  The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PF&BC) is reminding those interested in boating and born on or after January 1, 1982 that they are required to obtain a Boating Safety Education Certificate through an approved classroom boating course.   

Boating Safety Education courses are offered by a number of organizations including the PF&BC.  Approved courses are also offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadron, and numerous local associations and clubs.   

Consult the PF&BC Boating Courses & Safety Certificates webpage to locate an approved course and access a wealth of related information including handbooks and fact sheets.

Let Out Your Inner Craftsman 

Find time for self-expression in the coming weeks and months through workshops on basket making; throwing, glazing and firing pottery; and, metal-smithing jewelry.  Experience glass bead production first hand and give papier mache sculpting a whirl.   

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, supporting the arts for 63 years, is preparing a lineup of workshops for the artist in all of us.  The nonprofit is devoted to nurturing the craftsmen and bringing their fine work to public attention.  Let out your inner craftsman through interesting and convenient workshops.   

Be sure to check out the 2008 lineup of Guild Festivals.  The next Guild festival kicks off on May 24 & 25 at Mount Hope Winery, Cornwall with the Great Pennsylvania Flavor Fest.  The event will run from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday.   

PA to Resume Aerial Assault on Gypsy Moth 

Anticipating an increase in gypsy moth infestations and heavy defoliation in some parts of Pennsylvania, the state Bureau of Forestry plans to triple its aerial spraying program to suppress the woodland pest.

During the spring of 2007, a total of 64,900 acres of private, state and federal woodlands were sprayed in 19 counties.  This year, a total of 95,305 private acres are to be sprayed.   

Nine helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft will spray from early May to shortly after Memorial Day.  Track the progress of the state spraying program.  Institute your own gypsy moth controls with burlap bands, detergent and a little determination.   
 

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