Another issue Malibu Unites lobbied for last week was the discontinuation of rodenticides at Malibu High School and Middle School. Noting that MHS is located in a rural area, parents presented the issue as both an environmentally risky practice and a safety concern for children and pets.
City council candidate June Louks, founder of the Malibu Agricultural Society, which has campaigned for a ban on rodenticides, is a mother of two children at the Malibu High and Middle School. She petitioned the board to cease using rodenticides, noting that the City of Malibu had passed a resolution against the use of rodenticides in local stores, while state and national bans were currently under consideration.
“With all these efforts, if we’re still using rodenticides at our high school, we are failing to be stewards of our planet. the amount of poisons that are being routinely poured on our local Malibu High School ground that our children are being exposed to is, I think, criminal.”
As alternatives, Louks suggested installing owl and raptor boxes to “encourage ecological balance,” plant beds of native flowers which deter squirrels, clean up after ball games and events to reduce trash and install lids on trash cans.