Owl Wise Leader (O.W.L.)

O.W.L. encourages businesses and other entities to protect owls, hawks, other raptors, and all wildlife—as well as domestic pets—by eliminating rat poison products.

We are grateful to The Strong Foundation and Fund for Wild Nature  for their support!

Here is a link to a list of Success Stories—agencies and municipalities that have stopped using anticoagulant rodenticides.

WHO are Owl Wise Leaders?

Owl Wise Leaders are:

• businesses that stop selling rat poison products of any kind
• pest control companies, homeowners’ associations, community groups, urban farms, municipalities and agencies, and others that stop using rat poison products of any kind
• poison-free universities and other educational institutions

Let people know that your business or group is keeping children, pets, and wildlife safe from rat poison! We offer free items such as product stickers (to identify non-toxic products), storefront and vehicle stickers, and web badges.

Learn more about becoming or nominating an O.W.L. If you know (or you are!) a business or pest control company anywhere in the U.S. that does not sell or use any rat poison products, please download our application form and email it to raptorsarethesolution@gmail.com.

We thank Boy Scout Troop 888 in San Ramon for building and donating nine barn owl boxes to this program!

Please thank and support these Owl Wise Leaders! We’ve honored them with O.W.L. awards:

• Girl Scout Troop 60385 in Ventura, CA
• Davis Food Co-op Acts to Protect Owls
• Bolinas, Stinson stores dubbed “owl-wise”
• Hibbert Lumber honored as an Owl Wise Leader
• Marin County
• SF Rec and Park Demonstrates Eco-Friendly Pest Management
• The Rat Detective, Vashon, Washington
• Ferndale Music Company and Owl Cam
• Confidence Landscaping
• CSU Concord

More Owl Wise Leaders

We thank the following businesses and other entities for not using or selling poison, and protecting children, pets, and wildlife:

Location	Business	Doesn’t use poison	Doesn’t sell poison
Arizona
Casa Grande, AZ	Distinctive Earthscapes at The Avocado Nursery Black Butte Experimental Garden (BBEG)	√
Eloy, AZ	Lucky Nickel Ranch Skydive Arizona Sky Rider Inn	√
California
Ben Lomond, CA	Mountain Feed & Farm Supply – With the philosophy “Taking care to do no harm”, owners Jorah and Andi offer the safest options in their store including rat traps and non-toxic repellents, along with organic and native plants, pet and livestock foods, and supplies for beekeeping, home canning, bread-making, and more. You can also take a class or shop online! (First OWL Award from new chapter SCRATS)	√	√
Bolinas, CA	Bolinas Bay Hardware & Mercantile Bolinas Market & General Store	√	√
Calabasas, CA	Sperling Nursery Ralphs Albertsons		√
Campbell, CA	Confidence Landscaping provides innovative, sustainable, and award-winning landscape design, construction and management.	√
Cupertino, CA	Manny DaSilva, Manager, Custodial Services, De Anza Community College	√
Davis, CA	Hibbert Lumber Davis Food Co-op (Bija Young, Facility Manager, ebyoung@davisfood.coop) The Co-op is also changing their landscaping to be less rodent-friendly, part of a sustainability project using water-wise, drought-tolerant, and pollinator-friendly native plants, as well as rain gardens and other features.	√	√
Ferndale, CA	Ferndale Music Company, located in a former church, likes owls so much they’ve installed an owl cam! And they’re spreading the word about conserving owls and other raptors and not using rat poison.	√
Malibu, CA	Anawalt Malibu Hardware A&B Plumbing CVS Pharmacy Malibu Ranch Market Pavilions		√
Malibu, CA	Shopping centers, including all tenant businesses and food services (e.g. restaurants and supermarkets):     Malibu Country Mart Malibu Village Point Dume Village Trancas Country Market Zuma Beach Plaza	√
Malibu, CA	Restaurants:     Cholada Thai Nikita Nobu Starbucks (Trancas Country Market) V’s	√
Malibu, CA	Other:     Pepperdine University (including dining centers) Malibu Racquet Club (including restaurant) Malibu Golf Club	√
Marin County, CA	Marin County (Rodenticide ban and detailed non-toxic pest management plan implemented on all county property as of 2009)	√
Menlo Park, CA	City councilwoman Cat Carlton came up with an innovative measure that bans the use of rat poison within a section of the city zoned “bird friendly”; buildings in that area must also use bird-friendly glass.	√
Moss Landing, CA	The Haute Enchilada Cafe and Gallery is dedicated to natural rodent control. They even installed a barn owl box and an owl cam! (awarded by SCRATS)	√
Oakland, CA	Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project	√
Richmond, CA	Urban Tilth	√	√
San Francisco, CA	Natural Areas Program (NAP), San Francisco Recreation & Parks	√
Santa Cruz, CA	B&B Small Engine Repair – Owner Dan Beagle shares RATS outreach materials, regularly advises customers not to use poisons, and sells Fresh Cab, a non-toxic plant oil repellent. And he’s installing barn owl boxes! (awarded by SCRATS)	√	√
Santa Cruz, CA	After transforming the Wrigley Building into a vibrant hub for arts and business, real estate developer William Ow committed to non-toxic rodent control including snap traps and vegetation management; barn owl boxes are coming soon. He’s encouraging neighboring businesses to follow suit! Read more about his O.W.L.  Award here. (awarded by SCRATS)	√
Stinson Beach, CA	Stinson Beach Market	√	√
Ventura, CA	Girl Scout Troop 60385	√
Massachusetts
Arlington, MA	Butternut Bakehouse and its owner Suzana are committed to non-toxic alternatives for pest control – and love great horned owls. Glenbrook Estates Condo Association committed to green pest control methods including dry ice, after trustee Elaine Crowder photographed hawks capturing rats at their dumpster. Read more here!	√
Washington
Vashon, WA	The Rat Detective (pest control)	√	√