The Don’t Pack a Pest for Academic Travelers Student Ambassadors tabling event on June 6th 2023 at Memorial Union Quad drew 200+ students. The goal was to raise awareness about avoiding transporting harmful pests in your luggage during summer travel.
Photo above: Students from various backgrounds joined in, showing enthusiasm for positive environmental impact. Photo by Tania Siemens
We offered treats like popsicles, cookies, and fresh fruits in exchange for taking a survey about travel habits. These treats and the survey acted as conversation starters about pest-free travel. The relaxed atmosphere fostered meaningful discussions about food and travel.
Students learned that it is important to “Don’t Pack a Pest” by researching whether the food you want to pack is allowed, and to always declare any agricultural items that you pack.
These guidelines are just examples of prohibited agricultural items. Agricultural items can include not just food, but also spices, tea, souvenirs, and natural medicines. Check the website dontpackapest.com for more information.
Students had the chance to play the “Should I bring it?” game, which is a fun way to learn about what items could be prohibited, and why. Similar to “corn toss” , students chose to either “pack” or “leave behind” beanbags representing commonly packed foods/agricultural items by tossing the beanbag into the proper receptacle.
Photo above: Nicole Brooks, Customs and Border Protection Agricultural Specialist, and Yuri Sokolov, Fisheries and Wildlife Student at Oregon State and Academic Traveler Ambassador show off the beanbags (foods) that you can toss in to the “pack and declare” suitcase or the “leave behind” waste basket.
This interactive approach made learning about responsible travel fun. Students discovered hidden pests in seemingly harmless items. For example, did you know that it is often not allowed to travel with chicken flavored ramen? This is because the chicken bullion could contain avian influenza, which is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild birds.
Another surprise is moon cakes. These yummy cakes are popular around the lunar new year, but some of them may have pork, beef, or eggs, which can also carry diseases like African swine fever, and foot and mouth disease. Both of these diseases have the potential to decimate the pork and beef industries in the USA.
It was fun to learn about people’s personal stories of pest encounters while traveling, and how that inspired people to be more responsible travelers. One student shared how a necklace made of large seeds they brought with them suddenly hatched out many insects! Yikes!
We also met a OSU professor who was planning a New Zealand trip with his students. He appreciated our insights on pest prevention and acknowledged the role professors and faculty who lead study abroad trips have in educating their students about invasive species. Student’s academic learning about science, economics, food systems, and even human health can be understood through the lens of invasive species spread and impact.
Photo: Sean McMillan, USDA Trade Compliance Officer, and Nicole Brooks, Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialist, for joining us and sharing their expertise with the students. Thanks so much to the USDA and Customs and Border Protection who share our commitment to the Don’t Pack a Pest Message.
Engaging with diverse students enriched the event. Biology majors shared knowledge about impacts of invasive species on ecosystems, while business and communication students emphasized the importance of effective communication to raise awareness about invasive species.
Most importantly, students become aware that their packing behaviors could cause invasive species outbreaks in not just our country, but the countries we travel to. Students can be good ambassadors and show respect for the countries they travel to by packing responsibly.
Overall, the event empowered the OSU community, fostering environmentally conscious travelers.
Let’s use the gained knowledge to make a difference in our travel practices. Every action counts in ensuring pest-free and eco-friendly journeys. Together, we safeguard cherished ecosystems.