West Coast Rodent Academy Goes Virtual Again

DAVIS, Calif. – The tenth West Coast Rodent Academy took place virtually in November. It marked the third time the academy was hosted online, with the last in-person event occurring in March 2020.

Niamh Quinn, co-organizer, said the academy’s transition to the online format was slightly stressful. The support and flexibility of trainers and the program support unit at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, however, allowed for an “almost flawless transition” from in-person to virtual learning. The online setting also allowed content to be accessible to more people than usual, she added.

In 2021, West Coast Rodent Academy was able to offer multiple scholarships to women in pest management, pest management professionals managing rodents in school environments and to members and associates in Tribes and Nations as far away as Kansas, Quinn said.

The West Coast Rodent Academy shares its successes with others and assists them with the development of their own programs. This year, the academy partnered with Rebecca Maguire, extension coordinator, and the urban IPM and pesticide safety education program at Washington State University, to help assist with the Washington Rodent Academy (WARA). WARA joined on the second day of West Coast Rodent Academy program for a successful multi-state event. 

Academy organizers are excited to return to in-person programming and expect to soon have a full program of both classroom instruction and hands-on activities. The program is slated to take place again on March 16 - 18, 2022, in Irvine, Calif. Registration will open in January.