West Coast Rodent Academy Raises More Than $14,500 for UCCE Research

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — The West Coast Rodent Academy (WCRA) held its third event Nov. 15-17, 2017, at the University of California’s South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine, Calif. This three-day workshop on urban rodent management was a joint effort between the Pest Control Operators of California, the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Target Specialty Products, Univar and other  sponsors.

WCRA has raised more than $35,000 to date, with all proceeds benefiting the work of UCCE’s Dr. Niamh Quinn, a Human-Wildlife Interactions advisor. Quinn's focus is on coordinating educational programming regarding human-wildlife conflicts, particularly within the residential and industrial areas of Southern California, where significant human-wildlife conflicts occur.

This unique workshop included lectures by leading experts and hands-on activities simulating real-life scenarios at the Demonstration Landscapes at the University of California’s South Coast Research and Extension Center. The academy's curricula are designed to help pest management professionals better understand rodent ecology and integrated pest management practices.

This year’s academy was fortunate to have guest speaker Karlette Sylvain, Assistant Director of Pest Control for the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the original NYC Rodent Control Academy Coordinator.

“The opportunity to have Ms. Sylvain participate in our academy was impactful for all the attendees,” said Sylvia Kenmuir, BCE, director of technical training at Target Specialty Products. “Both New York City Rodent Control Academy and West Coast Rodent Academy share the goal of providing a highly focused and standardized approach to managing rodent populations through integrated pest management.”

“I highly recommend this academy to all who have an interest in controlling rodents,” said attendee John Brezden, owner and operator of Brezden Pest Control in San Luis Obispo, California. “If only I could have attended a seminar like this when I started in the Pest Control Industry back in 1977.”

The next West Coast Rodent Academy is scheduled for March 13-15, 2018. For more information email rodentacademy@ucanr.edu.