I started this Earth day highlight one week ago with the intention of highlighting some of the brands and environmental issues I’m passionate about. As different topics came to mind, I couldn’t help but think of all the people I know personally who are doing their part in one way or another. What started as a casual conversation with a few people, turned into this whole series of blogs packed with a ton of information from people who really know their stuff. So without further ado, to round out the end of Earth Week, I wanted to tackle one last Earth Day Challenge, “talk to a scientist.” Lucky for me, I was able to talk with two :) I took my own approach to this challenge and asked Amy Cherko and Jody Green to share a little bit with me about their fields, an issue they’re passionate about, and what we can do to fight the good fight.
First up, Amy Cherko is a project scientist who works for a planning, design, and engineering consulting firm. Amy has been in her field for 12 years now, but was unaware such a position existed until she was in it.
“My job in it's simplest terms, is to keep our clients compliant with environmental laws and regulations. I work most closely with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (e.g., wetlands and streams protections), the National Environmental Policy Act (aka NEPA - required for any and every project that uses a federal dollar or has a federalized component [a federal permit requirement]), the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It's my job to interpret and implement the aspects of these laws and regs as they apply to our clients' projects. I often joke that I am embodiment of "red tape" - working through these processes adds time and money to project budgets which is not an ideal thing for many of our clients.”
- Amy
Amy never imagined she’d be working in environmental consulting, “in fact, I changed my major from environmental science to biology because I didn’t like ‘all that legal stuff’ in the environmental science degree path.” However, she has come to enjoy many of the aspects each project requires of her.
“I have grown to really love the history, context, nuance, and difference behind many of the laws - every federal agency has their own regulations and ways to comply with each law. Every project I work on is different, even if they are all complying with the same laws. And what I have learned many times over, is that there is a reason these laws exist and that the citizen component of these laws are real. Most of these laws require a public input component on some level and I have seen how the local agency representatives take public comments seriously and see public comments impact project outcomes (even if it takes months to get a response from an agency or to see the project come to fruition).”
Pregnant Amy working on a wetland delineation in Dodge County,
and completing a survey for a threatened plant in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.
If you’ve been following along all week, you know this year’s theme for Earth Day is “climate action.” I asked Amy to come up with a call to action for the average Joe/Jane. As she mentioned above, many of these laws and regulations have a crucial citizen component.
“My call to action is to comment on a public project happening in your area - even if it's as simple and straightforward as "I live near this project and I am in full support." Comments of support are important too! You can typically submit a comment via an email or form. You can start by finding your city council representative and seeing if they have an email list or social media account where you can find out more about projects.”
Amy also suggests checking out the Public Works projects website if you live in Omaha. (I left a comment on the 13th St. Walkability Study (go Little Bohemia!) by clicking “Stay Informed!”)
Amy also linked me up with her good friend Jody Green, an extension educator at UNL. Jody is especially passionate about the protection of pollinators in our landscape, and helping people understand our crucial relationship with insects good and bad through education.
“I’ve been an entomologist for 16 years and in my current position, with UNL Extension for five years. I am an urban entomologist specializing in the insects (and their relatives) that really bug people. These include bed bugs, ants, cockroaches, termites, centipedes, ticks, and spiders. I work within the community, delivering insect-related information through Twitter, newsletters, television, radio, presentations, workshops, and podcast. I enjoy spreading my love for insects and spiders with others. I believe education is the key to conquering fear and empowering individuals.
My goal is to help people understand as humans, we sometimes create favorable environments for pests. Although pesticides may be part of an integrated approach to pest management, the overuse or misuse of pesticides pose threats to non-target organisms like people, pets, wildlife, and the environment.” - Jody
The way we handle pests in our homes and gardens can have a big impact on the environment. Not all pesticides are made alike, and some can be more harmful to essential plants and pollinators than others.
“Only a very small number of invertebrates are pests. Yet, the pesticides designed to control unwanted plants and animals rarely distinguish between beneficial invertebrates and those which cause harm. All too often pesticides cause unintended consequences and disrupt the natural systems that sustain us. But, because pesticides are valued for their toxicity to pests, the risks they pose are often accepted—even when healthier, more sustainable options are available.” - Xerces Society
In addition to being mindful of pesticide use, we can also pay advocate for the protection of pollinators in our landscape, an issue that Jody is passionate about.
“I usually deal mainly with insect pests, but there are so many beneficial insects that perform pollination services. There are pollinating flies, beetles, wasps, moths and butterflies along with the approximate 4,000 bee species in North America that risk decline. Anyone can help.”
Here are a few of Jody’s suggestions for practicing pollinator conservation:
Plant native plants that bloom throughout the growing season.
Reduce pesticides that are harmful to pollinators where they forage.
Learn more about pollinator resources and conservation programs from the Xerces Society (xerces.org).
You can donate to the Xerces Society, take the Pollinator Protection Pledge, or join a Community Science Project!
Jody teaching a Bug Masters Class.
Air Bee N Bee :)
Jody at a native bee presentation in Nebraska.
Many thanks to Amy and Jody for providing great resources and shedding some light on things we can do to take action! If you’d like to know more about any of the topics we discussed this week, feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to provide some of my favorite resources and put you in contact with any of the experts I spoke to throughout the week!
Resources: Amy Cherko, Project Scientist for Olsson, Jody Green, PhD, Extension Educator at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, City of Omaha Public Works, Xerces Society,