For the field and lab training IA sent to Argentina the following people: Michael Goldstein (TIWET), Linda Glaser (Madison Health Center), Spencer Mortensen (TIWET-EPA), Michael Hooper (TIWET), Vyas Nimish (USGS-Patuxent), and Linda Aston (Univ. of California). Some of these persons (as far as I know: Hooper, Nimish, Goldstein) will be present at the next ABC meeting on March 3, 1997, together with Dr. Jose Luis Panigatti (INTA), Maria Elena Zaccagnini (INTA, Project Coordinator), and Alba Mustacciolo (IASCAV), whom will be presenting the results of both trainings, and the educational and monitoring efforts.

The Government of Argentina through INTA, IASCAV, and SRNyAH formed an Interagency Committee to deal with the problem of wildlife (Swainson's hawks serving as an umbrella) and pesticides in agricultural areas in La Pampa. The Committee has been quite active, especially on the educational aspect. These 3 agencies with different missions and mandates have integrated efforts in a minimum amount of time to deal with the issue. People in Argentina are well aware of "aguiluchos" and monocrotophos, and, of course, AOP with the help of ABC and Ciba-Geigy have also played an important role in all this.

We have been only partially successful, however, because Swainson's hawks and monocrotophos are just one example of a very complex socioeconomic and ecological problem affecting migratory and resident wildlife at hemispheric levels. In Argentina, for example, many other toxic pesticides are used constantly in the race for obtaining better crop yields. Therefore, if monocrotophos don't do it (illegaly now), something else will, is just a matter of time. We need to integrate our efforts ay national and international levels. Education and more education, and capacity building through high quality training of local talent. I agree with S. Weidensaul's last statement: "As impressive as the progress has been thus far, Swainson's hawks (and other highly vulnerable resident fauna, I must add) are still very much at risk..."

Currently INTA, IASCAV, SRNyAH, and IA are studying the possibility of conducting training in IPM practices during FY97-98. Perhaps FWS-IA and US Dept. of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service, Rangeland Insect Lab.) can join efforts to carry out this kind of training some time soon. IPM practices for grasshoppers in the US might be easily adaptable to Argentina (?) INTA has already done IPM, for example, on peaches. Therefore, I think they are ready (as they were for the toxicology trainings) for high quality training, including forecasting and modeling of grasshopper demography and population dynamics, and IPM practices, including the strategic use of more selective and less toxic pesticides to prevent population blooms as a result of changes in humidity and other environmental conditions.