Hemlock Hunters Wanted -Winter Volunteer Position!
If you’d like to spend time outdoors AND help the environment, consider becoming a Hemlock Hunter! This volunteer program offered by OCCA and our partners at Mohican Farm will train you to search for and report on finding hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an insect pest that threatens our native eastern hemlock tree. Learn how to identify hemlocks and HWA, and either join us in the field or “adopt” a hemlock stand to visit on your own. For information, contact Jeff O’Handley at programdirector@occainfo.org
New York’s lands are under attack from numerous invasive species. Chestnut blight, spongy moth, Dutch elm disease, beech bark disease and the hemlock wooly adelgid have all had devastating impacts on our forests. Invasive species are capable of causing extinctions of native plants, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and altering habitats.
Asian Longhorn Beetle
The Asian long-horned beetle (ALB) threatens urban and suburban shade trees and recreational and forest resources valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. While the Asian long-horned beetle has largely been confined to urban and suburban parts of the state, this species could have significant impacts on our upstate forests should it spread further. The beetle could impact industries such as maple syrup production and hardwood lumber processing, nurseries and tourism.
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Knotweed is not just any plant. It's a true survivor, thriving in conditions that would challenge most other plants, such as disturbed areas, roadsides, and even shaded, high-salinity, high-temperature, and drought-prone environments. This adaptability is what makes Japanese Knotweed such a formidable invader, demanding our attention for its management.
The primary objective in controlling Japanese knotweed is eliminating the rhizome system. Rhizomes are creeping underground stems that give rise to new shoots and roots. Small stands may be killed by repeated cutting, but this treatment must be repeated six times or more per season for many years. Pulling up the plants increases the risk of spreading knotweed because small pieces of root left in the soil can start a new colony. Another strategy is to smother the plants with heavy plastic or other material heavy enough to prevent the plants from growing through.
Emerald Ash Borer
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle to eastern Asia that kills all species of ash trees in North America, and has caused severe economic and ecological damage. It was first detected near Detroit in 2002, and has now spread to 28 states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian provinces. Ash mortality is 100% near Detroit and is widespread in all the affected areas. Since the establishment of EAB in New York State we have seen economic impacts in forests where ash is a common timber species and in urban areas where ash are frequently planted as street trees.
Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard, originally from Europe and Asia, was introduced to North America in the mid-1800s for its herbal and medicinal qualities.
Garlic Mustard is a biannual with a two-year life cycle; one plant can produce more than 7,000 seeds before dying. It emerges before most native plants and gains a foothold in early spring. By the time native species are ready to grow, garlic mustard has blocked their sunlight and outcompeted them for moisture and vital nutrients.
Your role in removing garlic mustard is crucial. The ultimate goal is to prevent seed development and spread. The best way to achieve this is by manually pulling the whole plant. After you have pulled the plants, bag them up and throw them out with your garbage; do not compost.
Hemlock Wooly Adelgid
The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), is an exotic pest native to Asia and western North America. It was first described in western North America in 1924 and first reported in the eastern United States in 1951 near Richmond, VA. This pest is now spreading through eastern forests at an alarming rate, and has the potential to remove a major component of these forests that is important in maintaining clean water and providing valuable habitat for myriad wildlife. This pest is now found in at least 19 states, and Otsego County stands at the crossroads of the current invasion spreading north into the Adirondacks. It is currently found on only a handful of sites in Otsego County, but surveys and programs are being done to determine the extent of the invasion.
Wild Parsnip
In appearance, it looks and smells quite like cultivated parsnip (in point of fact, wild parsnip is part of the Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae) family, which includes carrots, celery, parsley, parsnip, Angelica, and Queen Anne’s Lace, most of which are aromatic plants with hollow stems). It is believed to be an escapee from parsnip that was originally under cultivation.
Each wild parsnip plant can produce hundreds of tiny yellow flowers, which bloom from June to mid-July. These flowers are arranged in a loose compound umbel, resembling the ribs of an umbrella. After producing seeds, the plant dies, leaving behind a standing stalk that persists through the winter. The seeds, a potential source of future infestations, can remain viable in the soil for up to four years.
Wild parsnip invades and modifies disturbed open habitats. Well-established fields and meadows are not likely to be invaded, but parsnip can become well-established along the edges and in disturbed areas. Once an infestation begins, it can spread into adjacent areas and form dense stands in high-quality fields and meadows.
While wild Parsnip roots are edible, the plant produces a compound in its leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits that causes intense, localized burning, rash, severe blistering, and discoloration on contact with the skin on sunny days. This condition, known as phytophotodermatitis, is caused by furanocoumarin contained in the sap. This is not an allergic reaction, it is a chemical burn brought on by an increase in the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. Affected areas can remain discolored and sensitive to sunlight for up to two years. This reaction is not brought on by contact with the foliage of the plant, only by contact with the sap.
If one should come in contact with wild parsnip sap, you should immediately cover the exposed skin to prevent the reaction to sunlight (but the area will remain sensitized for about eight hours). The contact area should be washed with warm water and a mild soap.
Manual control for small patches is effective. Cut the root 1” below the ground using a tool such as a spaded shovel or remove plants by hand pulling, gripping the stalk just above the ground. These control measures should be undertaken before wild parsnip plants go to seed. If the hand is pulling after seed formation, take steps to destroy the seeds. For small areas that have set seed, cut the tops with clippers, bag the seed heads in clear plastic, and allow them to rot.