Boo!
Know what’s really scary? An ash tree on your property that’s infested with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Infested trees are very unstable and can splinter apart if left untreated for too long. If you suspect EAB is in your ash tree, contact a certified arborist to inspect it now. Find a certified arborist in your area here.
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM -
- Having more trees in urban areas of the US could have prevented up to 38,000 deaths over the last 20 years, according to a Boston University study.
- NASA images were used in the research and in a separate study by Nature Conservancy that found lower-income US neighbourhoods have 15.2% less tree cover than richer areas.
- The health benefits of urban trees include reducing the impact of air pollution and improving mental health.
Many thousands of deaths could have been prevented by growing more trees and greenery in urban areas of the US over the past 20 years, according to a new study from Boston University.
The researchers used NASA images to examine differences in tree cover around various US cities. The satellite photos show how the amount of green vegetation has changed between 2000, 2010 and 2019. Read more...
AI Datathon Aims to Aid in Browntail Moth Invasion
 COLBY - On a bright autumn morning, Thom Klepach hiked through Perkins Arboretum with his head tilted back, searching for signs of one of Maine’s most troublesome invasive species: the browntail moth.
It didn’t take long before Klepach, a visiting assistant professor of biology and the Ward 3 Waterville city councilor, spotted a few webbed nests in the tops of hardwood trees and shrubs. Each nest harbors as many as 400 tiny caterpillars, the larval stage of the browntail moth. And each caterpillar is covered with toxic hairs that can cause a skin rash and even breathing problems in those who come into contact with them.
Lots of Mainers are all too familiar with the havoc the hairs can wreak because browntail moths, which were accidentally introduced to New England from Europe in 1897, have been in an outbreak here since 2015. Managing the outbreak has been taxing for agencies like the Maine Forest Service and for communities all over the state, including the city of Waterville.
“It’s a very real-world problem,” Klepach said. “There’s absolutely nothing about it that’s hypothetical.” Read more...
 PLANIT GEO - The urban forestry industry has enjoyed some well-earned celebration this past month after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It’s not every day (or lifetime) the federal government gives 1.5 billion reasons to improve our urban and community forests.
As the echoes of high fives have faded in the PlanIT Geo hallways, we and thousands of urban forestry professionals around the country are thinking about how to put this unprecedented wave of federal urban forestry funding to best use. So, let’s look at what is included in the IRA and outline how these funds can have a real impact on the livability of our communities and the resilience of our urban forests. Read more...
Acadia National Park’s carriage roads are a biking paradise
Policies Underestimate Forests’ Full Effect on the Climate
Prescribed fire could reduce tick populations and pathogen transmission
Maine Gardener: A new program will train students, and others, to work in horticulture
Nov 16 - Arbor Day Foundation Partners Conference, Seattle
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