The Pechanga Environmental Department is excited to announce a quarterly photo contest! The winning

photo will be featured in our quarterly environmental newsletter. This Month’s Winner is: Karen Drain

Quarterly Photo Contest

Contest Rules:

-Photo entries must be taken on the Pechanga Indian Reservation.

-Only one photo, per person, may be submitted each quarter.

-A brief description of the photo, including location, must accompany the entry.

-The winning photo will be chosen by an impartial panel of judges.

-All entries may be printed or displayed by the Pechanga Environmental Department for non-monetary purposes.

'ivén'xal, 'ivén'xash

Picoides nuttallii

Nuttall’s Woodpecker

Photo by: Karen Drain

For submittal and more information contact the

Environmental Department at 951-770-6154, or stop by the office.

Environmental Department

12705 Pechanga Road PO Box 1477

Temecula, CA 92593-1477

Thank you for recycling this newsletter when finished!

Due dates for Photo Contest

Submission :

1st quarter due March 1st

2nd quarter due June 1st

3rd quarter due Sept 1st

4th quarter due Dec 1st

Most people are familiar with the European honey bee, but few know that California is home to 1,600

species of native bees. Most are solitary in nature, do not build hives, and do not produce honey or

wax. However, native bees are 200 times more efficient at pollination than honey bees! According to

the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, pollinating an acre of apples requires 60,000-

120,000 honey bees; the same area can be pollinated by 250-750 mason bees. Native bees can play just

as vital a role in agriculture as they do in the ecosystem. So let’s learn how to provide nest sites for

native bees from nest blocks to bare ground patches.

Wood-Nesting and Cavity-Nesting Bees About 30 percent of our native bee species

make their nest in old beetle tunnels, in

snags, or similar locations. The female bee

builds dividing walls across the tunnels to

make a line of brood cells. For these types

of bee species a nesting block or stem / tube

bundles can be created for them.

Nesting Blocks. Bee blocks can be made

by drilling nesting holes between 3/32” and

3/8” in diameter, at approximately 3/4” cen-

ters, into the side of a block of preservative-

free lumber. The holes should be smooth

inside, and closed at one end. The height of

the nest is not critical - 8” or more is fine -

but the depth of the holes is. Holes less than

1/4” diameter should be 3-4” deep. For

holes 1/4” or larger, a 5-6” depth is best.

Stem or Tube Bundles. Some plants, like teasel, bamboo,

and reeds, have naturally hollow stems. Cut the stems into

6” to 8” lengths. Be careful to cut the stems close to a

stem node to create a tube with one end closed. Fifteen to

twenty stem pieces tied into a bundle (with the closed

ends of the stems together) makes a fine nest. Or, make a

wooden frame to hold as many stems as you like. Paper

tubes can be used as well, just make sure they stay dry.

Location is important. These nests should be placed where

they are sheltered from the worst of the weather, with

entrance holes facing towards east or southeast, so they

are exposed to morning sun. With stem bundles, be sure

that the stems are horizontal. The nests can be any height from the ground, but between three to six

feet is convenient. Put them on a building, fence, stake, or place them in a tree. Make sure to fix them

firmly so they don't shake in the wind.

Article continues on page 2

Build a Nest for Native Bees

I N S I D E T H I S

Save the Date 2

What is NOx 3

What is

Household Hazardous

Waste

4

Integrated Pest

Management 5

Wild Life of

Pechanga 6

Earth Day Art

Contest 7

Quarterly

Photo Contest 8

2 0 1 8 A P R I L - J U N E

The Manzanita Minute Environmental Department Newsletter

Bee Hotel: Photo by Constance Taylor

Mason Bee House Photo by Kathy Laliberte

P A G E 2 April - June 2018

Continued article from page 1

Ground-Nesting Bees Most native bees- about 70 percent of species - nest in the

ground, and need access to the soil surface to dig their nest. Each

female excavates her own nest tunnel and brood cells, and stocks

the cells with nectar and pollen. Where possible, keep bare or

partially vegetated ground. If you can, create more space!

Bare Ground. Simply clear the vegetation from small patches of

level or sloping ground and gently compact the soil surface. These

patches can be a few inches to a few feet across, but should be

well drained, and in an open, sunny place. A south-facing slope can

be a good location. Different ground conditions, from vertical

banks to flat ground, will draw different bee species, so create

nesting patches in different areas to maximize the nesting opportu-

nities.

Sand pits and piles. In a sunny, well-drained spot, dig a pit about

2’ deep, and fill it with a mixture of pale-colored, fine-grained sand

and loam. Where soils do not drain well, a pile of the sand/loam mixture can help, or make a raised bed. If space is

limited, you can fill planter boxes with the sand/loam mixture.

For more pollinator conservation information, go to www.xerces.org.

Mining Bee Colletes inaequalis female Photo by Margarita López-Uribe

Spring Gardening Event A fun event for the whole community!!!

When: Friday, March 30 2018 10 am to 1pm

Where: Pechanga’s Community Garden!

Come learn about:

Starting your own vegetable and flower gardens

What time of year to plant which vegetables

Finding the best location in your yard

How to compost your own soil

SEEDS & PLANTS WILL BE PROVIDED TO

PARTICIPANTS!!!

SAV

E T

HE D

AT

ES

Pechanga Earth Day Come Celebrate Mother Earth!!!

When: Saturday, May 12th 2018 11 am to 3pm

Where: Pechanga Park

Come learn about: How to protect water quality & pollinators

through responsible use and storage of pesticides, and Integrated Pest

Management for your home.

Pechanga Tribal Youth play.

FREE FOOD, GIVEAWAYS, & RAFFELS !!!

April - June 2018 P A G E 7

Earth Day 2018 Art Contest

Its that time of year again! Pechanga Environmental Department is holding its Earth Day Art Contest for all Pechanga

Tribal Member’s children's Pre-K/ Kindergarten to 5th grade. If you are an artist and want to participate, draw a

picture in the space below, or use a standard letter size (8.5”x11”) paper. Write your name and grade on the reverse

side. When you have finished, bring it into the Pechanga Environmental Department no later than 5:00pm on April

25th 2018. The Pechanga Environmental Department is located on the second floor in the Pechanga Tribal

Government Center. Then come to Pechanga Earth Day on May 12th 2018 to see if you won. There are 1st to

3rd place prizes for each grade and an overall winner. The overall winner’s art will be used for next year’s save the

date post card for Earth Day. So have some fun and draw a picture that represents what Earth Day means to you.

Characteristics: The monarch butterfly is reddish-orange with

black vein-like markings. There is a black border around its wings

with white spots on it. Its wings look like stained glass windows!

When its wings are open, they are about four inches wide.

Range: The monarch butterfly is found in North America from

southern Canada south to South America and the Caribbean. It is

most common east of the Rocky Mountains and is not found in

some areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Monarchs that live

east of the Rocky Mountains usually overwinter in Mexico. Mon-

archs that live west of the Rocky Mountains may overwinter or live

year-round in Southern California.

Diet: Monarch butterfly larva feed on milkweed. Adults gather

nectar from flowers. The monarch is not a very pleasant meal for

predators. Eating milkweed causes the monarch to store alkaloids.

This makes it taste horrible to birds and other predators!

Behavior: The monarch butterfly is a long-distance migrator. It migrates both north and south like birds do. But, unlike

birds, individual butterflies don't complete migration both ways. It is their

great-grandchildren that end up back at the starting point. In the fall,

monarchs in the north gather and begin to move south. In North America

there are two large population groups that follow separate migration paths.

Most monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains overwinter in the Sierra

Madres in central Mexico where they live in fir forests at high altitudes. Far

western populations of monarchs winter along the coast of Southern

California where they live in groves of pine, cypress, and eucalyptus trees (a

non-native species of tree). In the spring they head north and breed along

the way. Monarch migration back to the north is like a relay race! The origi-

nal butterfly dies along the way, but the offspring it leaves behind continues

on to the north where the cycle will start again in the fall. There are popula-

tions of monarchs in California, Florida, and Texas that don't migrate.

P A G E 6 April - June 2018

Wildlife of Pechanga Reservation 'avéllaka nóot

Picture of 'avéllaka nóot, Monarch Butterfly -

Danaus plexippus (Image Credit: Eileen Hornbaker)

Monarch Butterfly - Danaus plexippus

Have

You Seen

ME?

CDC’s Estimated range of the 'avéllaka nóot Monarch

Butterfly - Danaus plexippus

Color

'avéllaka nóot

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

P A G E 3 April - June 2018

What is NOx?

Nitrogen Dioxide is an irritant gas, which at high concentrations levels causes inflammation of the airways. When

nitrogen is released during fuel combustion it combines with oxygen atoms to create nitric oxide (NO). This

further combines with oxygen to create nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Nitric

oxide is not considered to be hazardous to health at typical ambient

concentrations, but nitrogen dioxide can be.

Nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide are referred together as oxides of

nitrogen (NOx).

NOx gases react to form smog and acid rain as well as being central to

the formation of fine particulate matter (PM) and ground level ozone.

Sources of NOx:

NOx is produced from the reaction of nitrogen and oxygen gases in

the air during combustion, especially at high temperatures. In areas of

high motor vehicle traffic, such as in large cities, the amount of

nitrogen oxides emitted into the atmosphere as air pollution can be

significant. NOx gases are formed whenever combustion occurs in

the presence of nitrogen – e.g. in car engines; they are also produced

naturally by lightning.

Health Issues created by NOx:

NOx mainly impacts respiratory

conditions causing inflammation of the

airways at high concentrations. Long term

exposure can decrease lung function,

increase the risk of respiratory conditions,

and increase the response to allergens. NOx also contributes to the formation of fine

particulate matter (PM) and

ground level ozone, both of

which are associated with

adverse health effects.

The impact of nitrogen dioxide on ecosystems:

High levels of NOx can have a negative effect on vegetation,

including leaf damage and reduced growth. High NOx can

make vegetation more susceptible to disease and frost

damage.

NOx also reacts with other pollutants in the presence of sunlight to

form ozone which can damage vegetation at high concentrations.

What Can I Do To Help Reduce Air Pollution?

•Conserve energy – remember to turn off lights, computers, and

electric appliances when not in use. •Use energy efficient light bulbs

and appliances. •Limit driving by carpooling, using public

transportation, biking and walking. •Combine errands for fewer

trips. •Keep your automobile well tuned and maintained. •Avoid

excessive idling of your automobile. •Use electric or hand-powered

lawn care equipment. •Be careful not to spill gasoline when filling up

your car or gasoline powered lawn and garden equipment.

Source: Environmental and Climate Change Canada

What is Household Hazardous Waste?

P A G E 4 April - June 2018

Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, flammable, or

reactive ingredients are considered to be household hazardous waste

(HHW). Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides,

that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you

dispose of them.

Improper disposal of HHW can include pouring them down the drain, on

the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the

trash. The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately

obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment

and pose a threat to human health. Pechanga Tribal Government offers

options for conveniently disposing of HHW.

Reduction at Home Consider reducing your purchase of products that contain hazardous ingredients. Learn about the use of alternative

methods or products without hazardous ingredients for some common household needs.

To avoid the potential risks associated with household hazardous wastes, it is important to always monitor the use,

storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous substances in your home. Below are some tips for your

own homes:

1) Use and store products containing hazardous substances carefully to prevent any accidents at home. 2) Never

store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. 3)

However, corroding containers (e.g. leaking or falling apart), require special handling. Call Pechanga Environmental

Department or Pechanga Fire Department for instructions. 4) When leftovers remain, never mix HHW with other

products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become

unrecyclable. 5) Remember to follow any instructions for use and disposal provided on product labels.

Disposal Options Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or

wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets, and present hazards to children and pets if left

around the house. Federal law allows disposal of HHW in the trash. However, many communities have collection

programs for HHW to reduce the potential harm posed by these chemicals. Pechanga Environmental Department

encourages participation in the HHW disposal program that Pechanga Maintenance Department manages rather than

discarding HHW in the trash.

What the Maintenance Department

Accepts At this time the Maintenance Department drop-off

location accepts:

HHW - Motor Oil, Hydraulic Fluid, Water-Based

Paint, Oil-Based Paint, Batteries, Pesticides, Other

Non-Used Household Hazardous Waste.

E-waste - Washer & Dryers, Televisions,

Microwaves, Stoves, DVD Players, Computers,

Gaming Devices, and Other Unwanted Electrical

Equipment .

Scrap Metal - Bicycles, Alternators, Aluminum,

Wire, Pie Tins, Copper Tubing, Non-Hazardous

Metals, Other Scrap Metals.

If you have items that are not on the list call the

Environmental Department at 951-770-6154 for more information.

Maintenance Team Moving items to the

back bins for storage before the items

are picked up for recycling.

Maintenance Team

consolidating used oil

April - June 2018 P A G E 5

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a control method that focuses on knowing the pest in order to prevent them

from infesting your home. IPM is safer because non-chemical methods are the first line of defense. If chemicals must

be used, the least hazardous products are chosen. Be sure to read warning labels before using any control products.

Step One: Find out what kind of pests you have

and where they are coming from. Each pest has

different habits so it's important to "know your ene-

my!" For rodents and roaches, sticky traps can tell you what

and where they are.

Step Two: All pests look for food, water and shelter. If

you understand what they want, you can take it away.

This is the most important step in IPM and prevention!

Keep living areas clean and uncluttered.

Put food in tightly sealed containers.

Keep trash in a closed container.

Fix plumbing or water leaks.

Seal entry points such as gaps in walls, pipes, pavement and

other surfaces using caulking, steel wool, or other pest-proof

materials.

Step Three: Use traps and baits first, along with less-toxic

dusts such as boric acid. Put the bait close to the pest's hiding

place. Do not spray any pesticides. This will keep the pests away

from the bait. Choose and use chemicals very carefully!

Read the label - it has valuable information on proper use. Other infor-

mation can be found at the National Pesticide Information Center:

http://npic.orst.edu/

Step Four: Continue monitoring with

appropriate methods to track progress or need for

further steps such as bait rotation, treatment of

adjacent units, etc.

Ongoing monitoring is one of the most

important steps in effective pest management.