Going to Bat Against the Emerald Ash Borer
Posted in Learning Experiences on May 24 2013, by Matt Newman
Notice an arborist with a little extra spring in her step? It’s not surprising. Against all odds, the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) was finally ousted from Manhattan and Staten Island after a near 20-year reign; even New Jersey is claiming victory, putting us on the road to ALB eradication. But even if this loathsome pest is on the outs in the northeast, we’re not out of the woods—figuratively or literally—with the nagging issue of its accomplice, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). These invasive bugs don’t mop up their own infestations, much as we’d love it if they did—it takes awareness and action on everyone’s part to save our trees. And I’m talking about millions of trees in the end game.
Since it was first discovered in New York in 2009, the invasive Emerald Ash Borer has killed tens of millions of ash trees, and its appetite is indiscriminate when it comes to variety. That leaves every last one of New York’s hundreds of millions of ash trees at risk—trees that not only define our landscape, but support American industry. And though good fences do make for good neighbors, these six-legged invaders aren’t partial to friendly truisms; it’s up to everyone to cooperate in looking out for New York’s flora at large.
That’s where Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week steps up to bat for its third annual run, taking place through Saturday, May 25. (Yes—if you’re wondering how convenient that metaphor is, baseball bats are made from ash.) “As vigilant as we in state government are in combating invasives, we also rely on the good work of everyday New Yorkers in helping us detect and rapidly respond to EAB and other invasive species,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine.
Vigilance means more than keeping an eye on the ash trees in your back yard, too. For those counting this Memorial Day as the start of the camping season, it’s something to keep in the back of your mind when buying supplies. Much of the spread of EAB infestation in New York is owed to lumber and firewood being carried from place to place, so be conscientious! Keep your firewood local by buying it near your campsite and burning every last bit of it before you strike your tent. It’s a simple way to help rein in the destruction caused by these pests, and earn another win against unchecked deforestation.
Beyond your camping habits, learn to identify not only the EAB itself, but the telltale scars left in its wake. This should make it a cinch to contact the appropriate agencies and help wrangle the problem when and where it’s found.
As Jessica Arcate-Schuler, Director of the Thain Family Forest tells us, the NYBG will also be placing helpful signs in the Forest and throughout appropriate collections to fill in visitors as they pass through. For more information on who you’re gonna call (not the Ghostbusters) when you come upon EAB damage, you can check out this Awareness Week handout complete with websites and hotline numbers for the New York State Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and other helpful agencies. Together it’s a step toward being able to wave the victory flag over EAB like we hope to with ALB—and preferably sooner rather than later.
Images courtesy of Emeraldashborer.info; EAB damage photos by D. Cappaert, MSU.
