A citizen-science-driven program for conservation and mitigation
Read article in Yale Environment 360 about when she accompanied us to document a lingering ash, June 25, 2024.
“Emerald ash borer beetles have killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in the U.S. Now, researchers are nurturing ash that can withstand the insects, in the hope of producing resistant seeds that would ensure a future for trees that are a crucial part of Eastern forests.” E. Kolbert.
Exhibition at the Museum of the White Mountains: June 1 – September 14, 2024
To access the online version of this exhibition, please visit the Museum of White Mountains site HERE.
“The exhibition will explore the past, present, and future of Indigenous basketry in the White Mountains region. As a museum about a place, our exhibitions seek to present stories about the people, plants, and animals of our region. In this case, we will be exploring the intersection between Indigenous basketry, brown ash trees, and the Emerald Ash Borer.
Since the glaciers receded 12,000 years ago and the temperate forest grew up behind them, Indigenous peoples have called this region Ndakina, home. Over many generations, they developed reciprocal relationships with the land, water, plants, and animals. This exhibition explores one of those relationships – one that they developed with the brown ash tree. This species is featured in one of the Wabanaki creation stories. Baskets woven from these splints were central to daily life. The unique structure of the growth rings makes it possible to pound the rings apart into flexible splints. This millennia–old relationship is now threatened by the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that has devastated ash trees across the Upper Midwest and much of the Northeast. While the threat to this cultural knowledge is real, all is not lost. Current research has begun to offer approaches to preserve and protect ash trees. The approaches to ash preservation we highlight in this exhibition are critical to the survival of the species.”
This exhibition was curated by Meghan C. Doherty.
Read an article by Eric Aldrich about The Nature Conservancy’s collaborative initiative Tree Species in Peril, February 15, 2024
“In waves across the land, some of North America’s iconic tree species are dying from a myriad of non-native pests and pathogens. Pests such as emerald ash borer and hemlock woolly adelgid are capable of—and in some places are—removing entire species of trees from whole regions in a few short decades.”
“As these pests and diseases spread, researchers are racing for ways to save the affected tree species. One approach centers on the fact that some individual trees manage to survive these threats. These “lingering trees” may have genetic resistance to the pests and pathogens—which means they might be the key to cultivating resistant trees that can grow into future healthy forests.” E. Aldrich.
Webinar presented on March 11, 2020 as part of the US Forest Service Urban Forest Connections Webinars
Ash tree species in North America are under mortal threat from the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), now in 35 states and five Canadian provinces. There are ongoing efforts to conserve this native tree species by producing genetically diverse, resistant seedlings suitable for restoring ash on the landscape. Identifying “lingering ash” is a critical component of amplifying these efforts, and this presentation will explain the narrow window of time in which urgent actions are needed to discover and preserve these individuals. Once identified, these trees can be replicated through grafting for further testing. Trees that are shown to have some level of resistance can be used as parents in conservation breeding programs. Drs. Kathleen Knight and Jennifer Koch of the USDA Forest Service will review EAB and ash tree mortality from an ecological perspective and report on the breeding program and latest results. Jonathan Rosenthal of the Ecological Research Institute will share a model training program, based on their results, to find and collect materials critical for breeding resistance into the ash tree population. Recording and and speakers’ presentations are available at
https://srs.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars/ash-tree-conservation-resistance-breeding.php.
Emerald Ash Borer – Woodpecker Allies
Thanks to woodpeckers, there’s an easy way to see if a tree is infected by beetles.
Emerald Ash Borer – Invasive Marauder
One species of insect is single-handedly wiping out entire forests of ash trees.
Emerald Ash Borer – Saving a Species
Natural enemies, resistant genotypes – all part of the effort to save our ash trees.