As fall clean-up and other preparations for winter begin - is there something that can be done to guard against the Emerald ash borer (EAB)?
Owners of homes and businesses, landscapers, and anyone interested in the Emerald ash borer problem can receive answers to their questions in a special Emerald ash borer seminar at The Morton Arboretum Thursday, Sept. 28, 7 to 9 p.m., in the Thornhill Education Center auditorium. This destructive pest has left nearly 20 million trees dead or dying in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and parts of Canada.
"The Arboretum has fielded hundreds of calls from the public wanting to know what they should do about EAB," says Edith Makra, arborist and Arboretum Community Trees Advocate. "We want to provide the very latest information available so they can make informed choices," says Makra, who sits on Governor Blagojevich's EAB management advisory team.
Arboretum experts will give a brief overview of the bug itself, and then explain the myriad problems that ash trees have experienced this year - problems that are often mistaken for EAB.
The panel will discuss how to tell if you have an ash tree, as non-ash species are sometimes confused with ash trees, and how to keep your ash trees healthy.
There will be a module on choosing replacement trees, and the importance of biodiversity.
"We should plant a diverse array of trees, in part to protect urban forests' integrity against periodic and inevitable invasions by exotic pests and diseases," says Clement W. Hamilton, Ph.D., Arboretum vice president of programs and director of research.
Finally, Makra will deliver an update on the state's efforts to determine the size of the so-called "footprint" of the Kane and Cook County infestations, and explain some issues involved in managing the infestations.
Following the presentations, there will be a question-and-answer session.
Registration is required to attend the seminar. Cost is $7 per person for non-members, or $5 per member. To register, call 630/719-2468.
