Monday, June 10th
The celebration for EFNEP’s 55th anniversary continued at the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens. During the event, something that Yexenia Gomez – EFNEP coordinator for Brooklyn and Queens – said really resonated with me: “We reflect the people we connect with. We speak their languages, we understand them.” This statement hit home for me. It perfectly encapsulates why I wanted to join this project. As a Latina, Spanish-speaking New Yorker from an immigrant family, I feel deeply connected to the community we’re trying to reach with this project. It’s not “just” IPM programming – it’s about reaching people and educating them on maintaining healthy environments to work, play, grow, and live in as sustainably as possible.
Queens Borough President, Donovan Richards Jr. speaking at the EFNEP event in Jamaica, Queens.
Tuesday, June 11th
I attended a Cornell SIPS – School of Integrative Plant Sciences – seminar on Zoom titled “Preparing for the Loss of Neonicotinoid Seeds.” I also started working on a project. Cornell CALS and NYSIPM have a website titled “What’s Bugging You?” that features a comprehensive A-Z pest index. I was disheartened to realize that this valuable resource was not available in Spanish. While I don’t have the programming skills to create a whole new webpage in Spanish, I do have the skills to translate the content. So, I decided that every day, I will translate at least one pest from the index into Spanish. I started with Ants (Hormigas).
Wednesday, June 12th
I continued my translation project with the Asian Longhorned Tick (Garrapata de Cuerno Largo Asiática). This task has been quite fulfilling, as I realize the importance of making this information accessible to Spanish-speaking communities who may be dealing with these pests.
Thursday, June 13th
I attended another SIPS seminar titled “Empowering Agriculture through Seed Technology.” This seminar provided valuable insights into the future of seed technology and its impact on sustainable agriculture. I also translated the Asian Lady Beetle (Escarabajo Mariquita Asiática Multicolor) for the pest index.
Friday, June 14th
I conducted my first interview in Spanish for the project! My grandmother had one of her church friends over, so I seized the opportunity to conduct my first interview, and it went really well! As I expected, living in NYC, her main pests of interest to learn more about were cockroaches, black ants, and bed bugs.
Overall, this week was filled with meaningful experiences and progress. I’m excited to continue my work and contribute to making IPM programming more accessible and effective for Spanish-speaking communities.