Praying Mantis is a favorite resident in Marcia’s garden where she has not used pesticides in 40 years.
In the early 1990’s Marcia organized three programs about the dangers of pesticide poisoning in children at the American Public Health Association with her friend, Dr. Theo Colborn, a leading researcher in endocrine disruption. Marica was also served on the Commission on Health. She was Chair of the Environmental HealthCommittee in Montgomery County, MD for six years.
Marcia was able to stop the county from using two now banned pesticides. Montgomery County staff was trained to use strict Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in all county buildings. She was frustrated that educational efforts were weak at the County level.
Marcia notes we do not know how Montgomery County residents currently use pesticides. She believes it is greater than than the l/3 of the population who was smoking when she was advocating for smoking laws to be passed in Montgomery County.
Marcia sees the need for extensive education of the medical community and in schools about the dangers of pesticides as a threat to public he alt.