Project 1. Elementary Schools
One of the areas we will focus on initially will be to provide leadership, advice, plants, and hands-on help for the great many elementary schools with existing high-allergy landscapes. Whenever possible we will select schools in low-income areas.
We will help replace the most allergenic plants at selected schools with allergy-free and otherwise allergy-friendly trees, shrubs, ground covers and lawn grasses. In the process we will teach each school how to help other area schools duplicate this health process.
Project 2.
Work with public health departments, asthma and allergy coalitions, lung associations, urban foresters, allergists, hospitals, arborists, landscape architects and designers, and developers and homeowners to promote allergy friendly environments.
- The doctors at Allergy Associates of Tucson created an "Allergy Associates Demonstration Garden" as an educational resources for their patients. The purpose of the garden included demonstrating plants that can be the cause of local allergies and to provide suggestions for identifying "good" and "bad" plants for allergy sufferers. Plants in the garden are identified and their OPALS® ratings shown.
- The Queux Plant Centre is selling a variety of plants with labels using OPALS®.
Project 3.
Raise Public Awareness by effective use of radio, television, newspapers, magazines, e-zines, blogs, and all social media.
