Submitted by Russel Barsh, director of Kwiaht.

Residues of home and garden pesticides sold and used on Orcas Island have been found in local wildlife, with some of the highest concentrations in bats and hummingbirds.

Kwiaht’s Pesticide Footprint study, launched earlier this year with support from the Orcas Island Community Foundation, was designed to determine how much of the Orcas Island terrestrial ecosystem is being contaminated by the continued use of over-the-counter home and garden pesticide products. As a first step, middle school students identified 13 pesticide products in current use on the island, of which 11 contain pyrethroids. Pyrethroids are synthetic variations of pyrethrin, a naturally occurring pesticide compound produced by chrysanthemums to ward off chewing insects. A

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