Combating insects doesnt have to mean spraying huge amounts of pesticides because integrated pest management offers a common sense approach to pest control.

"In the modern version of IPM we often explain that were trying to minimize risks. Such as economic risks, risks to human health or risks to non-target organisms and also to the environment. Were trying to do these things while managing pests but we need to make sense," said Jennifer Grant, the director of New York States IPM program.

Jennifer Grant with the IPM program at Cornell University says that means theyre not focused on just reducing or eliminating pesticide use.

There are a number of things that we do to reduce pesticide use and negative impacts from pesticides. So we might be using them but trying to use a pesticide that might be the least harmful possible, used less frequently or used over a smaller area.

Such a control program might include finding one organism to control another, such as ladybugs eating aphids.

Biological control tends to have a very low negative impact so we like to employ that or encourage that in different settings when possible.

But before that, step one is prevention. Using seed varieties that are pest resistant or designing your fields and gardens to be pest resistant.

How are things going to be planted? What kind of maintenance equipment are you using? You have to figure all of these are going to have an impact of the pest population that comes in -- so planning ahead is really the key.

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Integrated Pest Management Offers Common Sense Approach to Pest Control

Jan. 12, 2015, 6:51 p.m.

Up to $40,000 in funding is available in round 2 for projects involving weed and pest control, fish passages, fencing, off-stream watering points and erosion control.

UP TO $40,000 in funding is available in round 2 for projects involving weed and pest control, fish passages, fencing, off-stream watering points and erosion control.

GRANTS: Map of Southern Gulf region showing an erosion control project, fish passage and off-stream watering point.

Land managers, landcare or community groups, businesses, local governments or traditional owner group in the Southern Gulf region can apply for funding from Southern Gulf Catchments Limited.

The Targeted Investment Program round 2 funds on-ground works which show a clear benefit to species and wetlands listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Property owners have until March to apply for funding.

In round 1 of the program, the Gregory River Landcare Group received funding to implement a fire and chemical control program on weeds of national significance in the upper Gregory River catchment.

These weed infestations were in relatively isolated locations and had the potential to invade an additional 143 kilometres of the Gregory River and Thorntonia Aggregation.

This project is eligible for funding because both the Gregory River and Thorntonia Aggregation are wetlands of national importance.

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Funds availble for conservation projects

Editor's note: A version of this column has previously run on deseretnews.com and the authors' blog, renovationdesigngroup.com.

Energy-efficient updates are a good idea any time of the year. There is, however, a more measurable and meaningful reason to go green during the colder months. You can ease the pain of the winter heating bill by making a few simple changes to your outside doors. These simple changes can enhance the energy efficiency of your entire house, keeping you warmer and saving you money all winter long.

Doors and windows are basically large holes cut in the thermal envelope of your house. Even under the best of conditions, the R-value (the measure of the thermal resistance of a material or assembly) of doors and windows is significantly less than that of the wall in which they sit. Without the proper unit or correct installation, air and heat may be leaking out, driving up your energy bill.

There are three common types of exterior door materials: wood, fiberglass and steel. Of these, wood is the most beautiful, but it is also the least energy efficient. Insulated doors have a core of foam insulation, which increases thermal resistance. Any glass within the door frame should also be insulated, meaning two panes of glass at a minimum. This is especially important if the doors are mostly glass, such as patio (sliding) or French doors.

Energy.gov explains the energy efficiency of the different doors by the R-values:

"The R-values of most steel and fiberglass-clad entry doors range from R-5 to R-6 (not including the effects of a window). For example: A 1 inch (3.81 cm) thick insulated door without a window offers more than five times the insulating value of a solid wood door of the same size.

"Glass or 'patio' doors, especially sliding glass doors, lose heat much faster than other types of doors because glass is a very poor insulator. Most modern glass doors with metal frames have a thermal break, which is a plastic insulator between the inner and outer parts of the frame that interrupts the transfer of cold to the interior of the assembly."

"Models with several layers of glass, low-emissivity coatings, and/or low-conductivity gases between the glass panes are a good investment, especially in extreme climates," according to energy.gov.

Over the long run, the additional cost of the unit is paid back many times over in energy savings.

Once you have selected an energy-efficient door unit, care must be taken to install it correctly. Proper weatherstripping is critical to keeping air from leaking. Updating the weatherstripping on an existing front door is a useful exercise, even if you are not replacing the door.

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Renovation Solutions: Why upgrading your front door will help you save money on your energy bill

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From custom invitations to wedding cakes and DJs to photographers, the second annual Royal Gorge Region Bridal Expo on Sunday was a one-stop shop for brides-to-be planning their special day.

Thirty-one vendors filled the Abbey Events Center, displaying their offerings, giving out free samples and extending discounts on services.

Event co-organizers, Brenda McKay, sales and marketing for the Abbey Events Center, and Gillian Marriott, owner and operator of Sweet Cheek's Cakery, said there was more vender participation Sunday than last year's inaugural event, which featured 22 vendors. About 63 brides had registered at Sunday's event before its half-way point.

"It's been real steady," McKay said before the half-way mark of the expo. "I think we'll have even more brides this year than we had last year."

Vendors featured catering businesses, wedding dresses, carriage services, hair and makeup services and even event planning. Most were local, but there were some from Salida and Pueblo.

Johanna Patterson of Occasions By J, an independent, professional event planner, plans to utilize all businesses and venues for her clients' birthday parties, dinner parties, weddings, corporate events, fundraising events, theme parties and other special occasions. She is still building her new business, but she most recently organized the New Year's Gala at the Robison Mansion.

"A lot of what I am doing here is to connect," she said. "I do need to find the best fit for whatever the venue is. The connections with the other vendors is just as important as the brides themselves here."

Bride-to-be Christa Hansen-Gill on Sunday scheduled a consultation with Patterson. She is getting a head start on her March 2016 wedding.

"I wanted to give myself a year to plan a wedding, that way I am not rushing any details," she said.

As a mother of four children, Gill said using an event planner will alleviate a lot of pressure.

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Bridal expo one-stop shop for brides

A LITTLE CHAOS Official Trailer
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A LITTLE CHAOS Official Trailer - Video

By DAVID HALLFeb. 19, 2013, midnight

MELBOURNE swimming trio the Salty Seabathers took to the Illawarra and South Coast's ocean pools last week - and are convinced the area has the best ocean baths in Australia.

Ann Paul, Narelle Crux and Lucy Healey, from Victoria, form a group known as the Salty Seabathers. They were at Beverley Whitfield Pool at Shellharbour Village last Thursday. Picture: DYLAN ROBINSON

MELBOURNE swimming trio the Salty Seabathers took to the Illawarra and South Coast's ocean pools last week - and are convinced the area has the best ocean baths in Australia.

Group spokesperson and former Port Kembla woman Narelle Crux said the group's week-long odyssey highlighted things that locals probably don't realise.

"Ocean pools are such an important part of the community and landscape," Mrs Crux said.

"In fact, I think a lot of people who live on the coast don't appreciate just how lucky they are to have such a beautiful facility, often in walking distance from their homes."

She organised the salty adventure as a bit of fun and was joined by two good friends from Victoria, as well as a number of Wollongong swimmers.

They dove into two pools a day, aiming to swim at least a kilometre in each.

The group, who are on holiday in the Illawarra, are visiting every ocean bath from the northern Illawarra to Kiama and never thought they would generate such publicity.

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Pools get thumbs up

Spring Hill has been named the fourth best city in Tennessee for young families, according to NerdWallet, a website that promotes consumer financial literacy, giving transparent information to help consumers make big financial decisions.

Spencer Tierney, an analyst with NerdWallet, said, Spring Hills strong performance was bolstered by its high GreatSchools rating of 9 out of 10, as well as its high median family income ($82,378) and the large percentage of its population with children.

The 2015 report and methodology was created by NerdWallets data analyst, Kamran Rosen, who wrote, with over 30,000 residents, Spring Hill is the most populous community in our top 10. Families living here will find a lot of company: Nearly half, 41.2 percent, of the citys population includes families with children. The city just 35 minutes south of Nashville is proud of its industrial sector that it balances with its natural beauty.

He added, for many young couples, buying their first house when they are also starting their family is a daunting prospect. Even though quality of life matters to all future homeowners, young families may have tighter finances that limit their options.

The analysis considered several factors including home affordability, prosperity and growth, quality of education and family friendliness. With that information, they came up with the top 99 placed in Tennessee that they consider the Best Cities for Young Families in Tennessee. While Spring Hill is fourth, Arlington, Atoka and Mount Carmel make up the top three in the list.

Spring Hill Mayor Rick Graham isnt surprised by the ranking, he said.

Spring Hill has long attracted a uniquely high number of young families, he said. People have moved here for affordable housing and good schools in a friendly place where they feel safe raising children while still being close to their jobs in Nashville and Cool Springs. But Spring Hills job landscape is changing, and we are now evolving into a city that offers its own good-paying jobs and quality of life for those young families. That has further fueled the influx of young families.

He said he believes the city will remain at the tops of these types of lists for years to come.

Creating the environment that attracts young families with children is what we have concentrated on for so long, and because of quality of life aspects we are adding each year, I suspect Spring Hill will remain on these types of lists for the foreseeable future, he said.

Key factors make Spring Hill a good place for young families, Graham noted.

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Spring Hill earns top families ranking