Report on U.S.-Mexican Border Air Quality Data Monitoring
The Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP) was involved in a study for the Border 2012 Environmental Health Working Group and the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. The study identifies sources of data about air quality and human health at risk from air-borne pollutants. As a result of this study, the first centralized, regional, and "living" air and air-associated health database was created. SCERP recently published a report on the outcomes of this study. Visit http://www.scerp.org for more information and to download the full report and database.

SJV 2006 Awards Program Request for Proposals
The official Request for Proposals for the 2006 SJV Awards Program is now available online. The objective of the Sonoran Joint Venture Awards Program is to support the investigation and conservation of all birds and their habitats within SJV boundaries by providing funds through a competitive program. Proposals for projects that support the SJV mission and objectives are eligible for funding. This includes: habitat management, research, monitoring, education, community involvement, outreach, ecotourism, and training. SJV Awards range from $1,000-$10,000, with an average of $5,000. For more information and to download the application documents, visit http://www.sonoranjv.org.

Tres Amigos al Rescate, EE Video Resource in Spanish
Tres Amigos al Rescate, an education resource created by the EPA in Spanish, is available to all educators. The package is composed of an introductory video and a follow-up booklet. The resource covers a wide array of environmental issues, including use of household chemicals, second-hand smoking, water contamination, lead, asbestos, UV light and ground level ozone. The resource allows EPA to continue a dialogue with Spanish-speaking communities and the organizations that serve them. If you would like to receive copies of the video package, contact Amadee Madril at madril.Amadee@epamail.epa.gov.

Click here to download a PDF file with more information.

EPA Launches New Hispanic Environmental Health Webpage
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a new Webpage in Spanish dedicated to providing information on different environmental issues and their effects among Hispanics residing in the United States. The new page, "El medio ambiente y su salud" ("The Environment and Your Health"), will focus on a different issue every month. For the first month in this series the key issue is asthma. In this new page, EPA
offers general information about the disease, its environmental triggers, asthma FAQs, and environmental health studies of Hispanics and asthma. To view this new page, visit http://www.epa.gov/espanol/asma.htm. This new page is part of EPA's Spanish portal. To view EPA's consolidated Spanish site, visit http://www.epa.gov/espanol.

Online Course: Environmental communication for behavior change
This course provides environmental professionals with a practical introduction to the strategies, methods and tools of environmental communication that effectively lead to changes in behavior. The field-based skills gained through this course will benefit all practicing environmental professionals faced with the challenge of changing behaviors. The primary set of tools covered in this course will focus on environmental social marketing. This course is taught entirely from a distance using online and telecommunication technologies. The course runs from January 17 to February 24, 2006. Registration deadline is December 30th. For more information, visit: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/del/continuinged/envcommunication.html

The Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center Re-opens
The Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center, at Imperial Beach, the most southwesterly city in California, is a haven for birders and Baja Naturalists alike. The center was just re-opened after three months of renovation. The newly designed Clapper Rail Nest retail area is part of the Visitor Center's beautiful sustainable design remodel. Holiday shoppers can find stylish Tijuana Estuary t-shirts, Baja Natural and Cultural History and Travel books, children's books and games, gorgeous photo bird cards, totebags, organic and sustainable products, and more! The Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Sunday 10-5. For more information call the Visitor Center at 619-575-3613 or go visit http://www.tijuanaestuary.com.