Integrating Resident Engagement With Local Pest Management and Conservation Goals
Integrating Resident Engagement With Local Pest Management and Conservation Goals
Integrating Resident Engagement With Local Pest Management and Conservation Goals
Program: Catalyst Leadership Circle Fellowship
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Kalamazoo County, like many others in Michigan, has seen an increase in mosquito and tick-borne diseases in recent years. In response, the City of Kalamazoo aims to promote environmentally friendly pest management strategies while raising awareness of the broader ecological systems that regulate pest populations. Bats, in particular, play a crucial role in pest control but have experienced significant population declines in southwest Michigan.
CLC Fellow Vatsal Parikh developed a community engagement strategy to encourage the adoption of the Integrated Pest Management framework and to support the conservation of local species that contribute to natural pest control. His primary deliverable is a guidebook that outlines the strategy, includes public-facing materials, and provides a plan for Kalamazoo’s bat conservation initiatives. He also created ArcGIS models that produce bat habitat suitability maps.
- Location: Kalamazoo, MI
- Project Team: Vatsal Parikh (Fellow, University of Michigan), Justin Gish (Mentor, City of Kalamazoo), Laura Iles (Technical Advisor, North Central IPM Center)
- Project Presentation (PDF)
- Project Deliverables: