Robin Koestoyo, Media Coordinator
Indian River Research and Education Center
University of Florida
2199 S. Rock Road
Ft. Pierce, FL 34945
772-468-3922 Ext. 103
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2005
Students
to be in Brain Bowl 
The public is invited to attend the event at which
the participating students will be challenged about their knowledge of
biological control and research being carried out at the UF Biological Control
Research and Containment Laboratory. Attendees may obtain informational
materials about the laboratory research and view displays featuring invasive
pests and plants. Hosting the event will be Dr. Ron Cave, and Dr. Bill
Overholt, the scientists who are conducting the laboratory research programs.
The program is sponsored by: UF/IFAS Florida Integrated Pest
Management,
TruGreen ChemLawn and the Pelican Island Audubon
Society. For more information
about the event, please call Dan
Culbert,
“We selected the brightest minds in high school science from a three-county region to participate in the program, the Biological Control Brain Bowl, intended to share with residents in the region what is taking place in the Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory,” said Robin Koestoyo, media coordinator at the UF Indian River Research and Education Center, or IRREC, which is part of the university’s statewide Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Lab technician Diane Cordeau, and
Okeechobee Brain Team members Brandy Thompson, Erin Tewksbury and
Angela McCall, have just finished collecting data from their team
biological control experiment with tropical soda apple and the
invasive plant's natural enemy. Dr. Bill Overholt, a scientist who leads
research in the University of Florida/IFAS Biological Control Research
and Containment Laboratory, is on the right. |
Members of the Okeechobee County
Brain Bowl team examine Owl pellets for evidence of the kinds of
rodent prey remains consumed by the Barn Owls. Brian Bowl
participants learned about how to construct a Barn
Owl Nest house as a way to encourage natural biocontrol. |
Koestoyo said the students were recruited to participate in the program
because they are knowledgeable about science and so they will share what they
learned about biological control with others. The
students have participated in two visits that took place at the UF/IFAS
Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory earlier this spring
where they met
The Biological Control Brain Bowl competition event will be conducted
like a traditional brain bowl competition but will include a power point
presentation similar to a Jeopardy game format so that members of the audience
may view questions and answers. Koestoyo said the public is
“enthusiastically invited” to attend the event and to learn about
biological control and what it means to them and their environment.
“Biological control is often the most effective method to control
invasive plants and pests,” said Koestoyo. “Each year the state must spend
more than $90 million controlling invasive species with pesticides, herbicides
and heavy mechanical removal, and of that $90 million, only one percent is
used for research. It is expected that the research at the lab will reduce
that amount so that taxpayers’ money may be used for education or other
needs.”
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Trade
names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific
information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products
named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida
Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to
provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals
and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age,
handicap, or national origin. Florida
Cooperative
Extension Service / IFAS /
University
of
Florida.
Larry
A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 05/23/2005
. This page is maintained by Dan
Culbert