Emerald Ash Borer University webinar series on forest pests open to the public

Spotted lanternfly infesting trees near a popular trail in Maryland. Photo courtesy of Eric Waciega, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

This fall, Emerald Ash Borer University (EAB-U) — a collaborative effort between the USDA Forest Service, Michigan State University, Ohio State University and Purdue University — will present a series of free webinars available to the public on various pests affecting forest health. 

Individuals can register to attend live webinars or view them anytime on the EAB-U YouTube Channel. CEUs are available for those who attend the live webinar. Contact Elizabeth Barnes at barne175@purdue.edu for more details.

Forest Service priorities for EAB are to provide technical guidance and assistance to federal and state partners to manage EAB infestations; minimize impacts to urban forests and communities; and develop new technologies that will provide biological control, chemical control and host tree resistance.

See below for more details on this fall’s EAB-U webinars on pests affecting forest health:

Nov. 4, 11 a.m. EDT: Spotting the Spot: Spotted Lanternfly Outreach and Engagement

• Ohio State University Extension educator Amy Stone will discuss how to identify the spotted lanternfly and other invasive species and how to report their presence. Learn about Ohio, a previously uninfested state that now has non-contiguous counties with reproducing spotted lanternfly populations. Stone will also share how to engage the public, green industry professionals and others in the search for the spotted lanternfly, as well as how to craft a message that will work well in your state.  

Nov. 18, 11 a.m. EST: Managing Invasive Forest Pests: A Futile or Fertile Effort?

• Forest Service Northern Research Station entomologist Andrew (Sandy) Liebhold will draw on over four decades of experience to share his insights on responses ranging from border inspection and eradication efforts to slowing the spread of invasive pests. His unique perspective will help you understand the role of common tools and how you can best utilize them in your own fight against forest invasives.

Dec. 2, 11 a.m. EST: Detecting, Identifying and Managing Box Tree Moth

• Jennifer Llewellyn, a nursery and landscape specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, will discuss how to detect, identify and manage for the box tree moth, a new invasive insect pest of boxwood. Attendees will learn to confidently scout for this moth pest as part of the larger local detection and surveillance efforts in your region.

Date to be determined: Breeding for EAB-Resistance: What Does the Future Look Like for Ash?

• Forest Service research biologist Jennifer Koch will explore the possibility of producing seeds for ash trees that would be resistant to EAB, an invasive pest that has threatened the survival of this common hardwood species in the United States. Surviving ash trees with healthy canopies have been identified in long-infested forests where many ash trees had died. Seeds from these “lingering” ash trees have been used to produce seedlings that in some cases showed even more-effective defense responses, suggesting that a tree-improvement program may be successful in producing EAB-resistant seed.