Normally I am not a “bug” person, but what intrigued me about the invasive Emerald Ash Borer was the fact that it was discovered in Wisconsin literally five minutes from my home in southeastern Wisconsin. At the time, I did not know anything about the Emerald Ash Borer and was shocked to find it right in my backyard. After learning about the beetle, I was quite concerned because there is a campground right down the road from where I live, and firewood was a major contributor to the spread of this invasive species. I have seen first-hand what kind of damage this species can do to the trees surrounding my home, and it is not pretty. Many do not realize that the Emerald Ash Borer larva spend its life inside the ash trees feeding on the tissue under the bark. They kill the tree from the inside out, and it is impossible for us to physically see what the beetles are doing from the outside. We may not see the full effects of what they have done to the tree until two to four years down the road when the trees start dying. This is what makes removing the beetle such a necessity to Wisconsin. According to wisonsin.gov, Wisconsin has more than seven hundred million ash trees, which is seven percent of the tree population. That is quite a lot of trees at risk. Wisconsin is a beautiful state with thousands of acres of state forest. Our trees are such a big part of our state’s natural beauty. I would hate to see our forests diminish within a few years because of a tiny invasive species. I would hope everybody would agree with me as well. There are a few actions we can take as Wisconsinites to stop the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer. Please don’t travel with firewood when camping. It may still be legal, but the use of local firewood will greatly decrease the risk of infecting the trees. That being said, there are rules prohibiting the use of outside firewood within twenty-five miles of a state park or any Department of Natural Resources owned land. There are also many quarantined areas of our state prohibiting the movement of firewood since the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer. There are a list of counties under quarantine on the wisconsin.gov website. There is nothing like camping under the clear night sky with a beautiful Wisconsin forest surrounding you! Take this into consideration the next time you go on a camping trip.
Like I said, I can’t believe how much I have grown to be such an advocate for this subject. It truly is amazing how much I have learned and am able to share with others. I really believe that I would not have even known what an Emerald Ash Borer was had it not been placed right in my backyard.
Reference:
wisconsin.gov/eab/article
3 comments:
This is a real interesting blog. It's pretty amazing that it was discovered basically in your own backyard. I myself didn't know much about the Emarld Ash Borer and I learned a few things about it from this blog. I think it's great that you took such an interest in the potentially devastating bug, and that you are trying to educate to decrease its affects.
It was very interesting to have something that effects the entire state right in my own backyard. I guess it really does make a difference when it is happening to your very own property. You become much more aware of the problem and try so hard to educate others on the problem so they can understand the effects as well. I hope others can read this and understand the dilemma as well. Thanks for reading my blog!
Thanks for the blog! I am actually doing this topic for the social marketing project we have due coming up this next week. I agree that we can take actions but I almost feel like it is really too late to stop it from spreading further. A little disappointing to think about, but it doesn't hurt to try.
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