Saddleback College pesticide history has been tentative, but the outlook is strong

The northern Saddleback campus blockades the entrance off of Marguerite Parkway, as the campus remains closed for COVID-19 safety concerns. Bryce Jorgensen/Lariat

For many decades, the Saddleback campus in Mission Viejo, California, has served as a south Orange County activity hub. With a climate like Southern California’s, pests–such as various ants, termites, spiders and rodents–are common. The 200-acre Saddleback campus plus the neighboring Trabuco Creek are no exceptions to this.

Throughout recorded history, populations have sought out different methods to keep unwanted vermin away. With industrialization came the invention and population of synthetic pesticides. Decades later, the invention’s toxicity was discovered, and the fight to eliminate dangerous pesticides has been an ongoing battle.

With the dangers of synthetic pesticides in mind, it is important to consider using them on Saddleback’s landscape-heavy campus. The Lariat initially received no comment from campus management regarding what specific integrated pest management systems currently use.

“I’ve asked for that information in the past as well and they have not given it to me,” said Morgan Barrows, chair of the environmental studies department at Saddleback. “So, know that we have a new director. So, I’m hoping that maybe this director will be a little bit more forthcoming with the information.”

The Lariat was contacted by the Saddleback grounds department at a later date.

“We use a variety of herbicides and pesticides for our sports fields and for our campus landscapes,” said Sean Rivell, the grounds director at Saddleback College. “I’ve held a pesticide license for 22 years. I’ve been here since July.”

With the recent transition of directors, Barrows has not yet learned of the specifics about Saddleback’s pesticide use.

“I don’t know what pesticides we’re using on campus,” Barrows said. “But there are potentials, all of them have potential to be harmful because we’re not using any, say, natural organic pesticides. It’s just, I couldn’t imagine [it] just because it would be so cost-prohibitive for the campus to use them. So that leads me to believe that we’re using synthetic pesticides.”

Rivell shares his stance on synthetic pesticides, noting that he hopes to eliminate the use of them.

“One thing that I’m into is trying to eliminate the use of pesticides,” he said. “The best way that we can do that is by employing natural organic measures. Trees and shrubs, they naturally create their own mulch.”

Rivell was open about the current use of pesticides on campus as well as the outlook.

“What I’m trying to do right now is use our inventory up, all my predecessor’s chemicals,” he said. “We’re pretty tight on expenditures right now because of the COVID situation. So we will be using some organic pesticides in the future.”

Saddleback has also not released the schedule of times that pesticides are applied. Students, faculty and community members cannot know when or where the disbursement of pesticides is happening.

“I also wanted to find out when they sprayed because that’s one thing that we don’t do is publicize what pesticides and when the pesticides are being applied,” Barrows said. “So that way, if somebody is concerned about the pesticide use, they could alter when they were on campus, or where on campus they are. I think that is something that we’re missing.”

Barrows also recalled a time when safety procedures for pesticide use at Saddleback were nearly nonexistent. She noted that positive changes throughout the campus are in progression.

“Long time ago, this [wasn’t] recently, but a long time ago, they would apply the pesticides, but the maintenance people that applied them wouldn’t wear any protective gear,” she said. “I said, ‘You’re spraying a substance that’s designed to kill,’ I mean, that is the purpose of that substance. I said, ‘They’re not wearing masks, they’re not wearing gloves, they’re not wearing any kind of protective gear.’ They’ve since changed that.”

Knowing that standards are safer from the issue being brought to light, further steps to make Saddleback a secure and sustainable campus are plausible. While progression is steady, there is still room to grow.

“I know as recently as last fall, when we were all on campus, in the height of students being on campus between that 10-11 p.m. timeframe,” Barrows said, “they were spraying the pesticides right as the students were just walking on by, and that just bothered me.”

The change of grounds management on campus during its year-long closure could suggest a changed outlook from what Barrows has witnessed.

“I don’t know what the previous management did as far as pesticides on campus,” Rivell said. “I just know what the current situation is, and we are really trying our best to reduce our chemical impact.”

Natural alternatives would eliminate the need for toxic pesticides. The University of California statewide IPM program designates natural enemies as “organisms that kill, decrease the reproductive potential of, or otherwise reduce the numbers of another organism,” according to its website. In another article, the organization stated synthetic pesticides should only ever be used as a last resort and within moderation.

“One thing that we need to look at is finding ways to use natural substances,” Barrows said. “So for example, if you have a roundworm problem, then if you plant marigolds, they naturally secrete a substance into the soil that will control your nematode problem. So, if you can look at that, or even with orange oil or cinnamon, or even if you have an ant problem, you use borax, that will help because they’ll take it back to the colony and it will kill the colony.”

Marigolds integrated into a landscape naturally control nematodes. Oregon State University via Wikimedia Commons

Activism closely related to this issue has been successful in the past. Herbicide Free Campus is a non-profit organization started by University of California, Berkeley students, faculty and community members in 2017 who successfully advocated for 11 landscaped spaces on the campus to convert to organic means of vegetation management. Since then, the group has expanded to advocate for the discontinuation of synthetic herbicides throughout the country.

“It is important that campuses take steps to become organic in their land care to protect students, faculty members, employees and the surrounding communities,” said Sheina Crystal, fellowship operations manager at HFC. “Synthetic herbicides can wreak havoc on human health, causing a range of issues from irritated skin to cancer. Synthetic inputs can also degrade soil health, kill bees, and are contributing to the insect apocalypse.” 

Rivell detailed the plans around campus for unwanted vegetation, which would be utilized in synthetic herbicides.

“Around The Village, we have shrubbery everywhere with bare ground planters,” he said. “If you want to grow weeds, it’s a perfect situation when you have bare soil. The idea is that we’re going to coat that with four inches of bark mulch, and then that in itself reduces the weed pressure because weeds need sunlight to germinate.”

Beyond college campuses, city-wide changes have been brought about throughout Orange County. Irvine and San Juan Capistrano’s cities outlawed the use of toxic pesticides on public property in favor of organic methods. San Clemente’s policy for integrated pest management places emphasis on the use of organic practices.

“It was so rewarding to gather concerned parents and residents to bring about positive change in Irvine,” said Kathleen Hallal, co-founder of Non-Toxic Communities. “Organic practices not only improve the landscape but also keep our families safe.”

While it may seem that cities and institutions are adamant about sticking with synthetic pesticides, oftentimes, the issue simply boils down to a lack of awareness. Environmental activism helps bring attention to these issues, which often leads to real change.

“I will never forget Council Member Christina Shea’s comment when the resolution for an official city policy was unanimously passed for Irvine,” Hallal said. “She said, ‘It’s surprising that it took a group of concerned citizens coming forward to encourage us to make this decision. We should already have been doing this.’ City and school leaders who oversee landscape funding should be opting at every turn to keep their citizens and their communities as safe as possible.”

Knowing that concerns about the campus environment are being taken into account and accommodated, there is reason to be optimistic for Saddleback’s future. Change has happened on campus in the past, and movements for organic pest management elsewhere have been successful. There is no reason to believe that Saddleback is incapable or unwilling to produce a more sustainable campus. 

“I am optimistic. I think that they are trying to move towards a more sustainable campus,” Barrows said. “Yes, we may have had some issues in the past. But even under President Stern, I’ve seen a change, a shift on campus. So I think that we’re at least taking baby steps in the right direction.”

UPDATE: Following its original publication, this article was updated with new information from Sean Rivell on March 1, 2021.

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