Factor in Forewarning Giant hogweed, Heracleum mantegazzianum, is federally listed as a noxious weed, it is invasive and potentially very harmful to humans; contact with this plant is highly discouraged. The sap of this plant, when combined with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering and possibly blindness and/or permanent scarring. While attempts…
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It is that time of year in the midwest when mayflies emerge en masse from the depths of the Mississippi River, traveling in swarms that have been known to cause car wrecks, coat roads and leave a slimy mess in their wake. The swarms are so large that they can be seen on weather radar…
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Disease Distinction Late blight was first identified in the United States in 1842, but is most famous for its role in the Irish potato famine of the mid 19th century. Since that time it has been considered the most destructive disease to affect agricultural non-cereal crops. Late blight is caused by Phytophthora infestans, an organism…
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Infection Imposition Over the last decade the mortality of black walnut trees has increased in many states. Thousand Canker Disease (TCD) is the result of a tiny bark beetle which burrows in the bark and creates large and multitudinous galleries, making these trees susceptible to fungal disease and canker formation by creating an entry point…
DetailsThis title is not intended to give you a winning card in sustainability bingo (but if it works…), but to talk about Data Day 2014, which is being hosted by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA) today and tomorrow. BNIA is a partner of the US Forest Service Northern Research Station. Accordingly, tomorrow’s Data Day…
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We are always talking of what plants uptake from the soil; nutrients, minerals, water, but what about the things plants deposit in the soil? Plants actually secrete compounds into the soil through their roots, this process is call rhizodeposition. Proteins; sloughed off plant cells and sugars secreted into the rhizosphere (narrow region of soil affected…
DetailsYesterday I was on a client’s site doing a monthly tree protection inspection. That included making sure: – Tree protection devices were in place and properly installed with no breaches; – Tree protection signage was installed in English and Spanish on tree protection devices; and, – No materials or equipment were stored inside tree protection…
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Albany, New York’s Pine Bush has been designated a National Natural Landmark (NNL) due to its presence as an outstanding example of a globally rare ecosystem. Joining 596 other such sites around the country, a National Natural Landmark is labelled as such because it is the best remaining example of a specific biological or geological…
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Larvae from the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi, has caused damage which has become very apparent in recent weeks. Larvae had begun feeding late April on the terminal leaders and the damage is very evident on eastern white pine, Douglas fir, Norway spruce, Siberian spruce and Colorado blue spruce. Larvae will have pupated and adults emerged by…
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The Henry Whitfield State Museum, located in Guilford, CT, was home to the Whitfield family upon their arrival in the new world just 19 years after the pilgrims arrived in Plymouth. Journeying across the pond, Reverend Henry Whitfield sought to start a community free from religious persecution. Their family home was built with massive stone…
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