Tree carnage
Cornell Plantations and the Department of Natural Resources will present a workshop to train volunteers to identify and report new hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae).
This newly arrived invasive insect pest threatens eastern hemlock trees and the biodiversity they support, causing environmental changes for some amphibians, fish, invertebrates and plants in response to the increased light and warmer temperatures.
Hemlock woolly adelgids were first reported in the central Finger Lakes region in mid-2008, but now inhabit at least 30 sites. Early detection of new sites is a high priority, and conservation groups are organizing volunteer surveys as a critical first step in managing this devastating invasive species.
The workshops will feature a presentation on the adelgid’s biology and the threat it poses to local hemlock forests. Participants will visit Beebe Lake to observe hemlock woolly adelgids first-hand and gain experience in detection, monitoring and reporting protocols, and have the opportunity to volunteer in the “Adopt-a-Hemlock” program to conduct surveys and report new infestations in hemlock forests.
The workshop will be held on Saturday, March 10 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Plantations’ Lewis Education Building in the Botanical Garden.
Pre-registration is not required.