Citizen Science Opportunity: Protect Our Hemlock Trees
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is an aphid-like insect, originating from Asia that feeds off of the food storage cells below the needles of an Eastern Hemlock tree and hides itself under white woolly masses for protection. Within only a matter of 4-10 years an individual tree can succumb to an HWA infestation if left unnoticed. This deadly bug has been progressively moving closer to our area as it has spread throughout much of the eastern United States, leaving massive stands of hemlocks dead in their wake. Early detection of this particular pest is crucial as the spread of HWA can be managed....
Read MoreSoggy HWA Survey
Our first two Hemlock Woolly Adelgid surveys have been successful in the fact that we haven’t found any evidence of the little invasive pests! However, this past week’s survey was rather wet due to the massive amount of rain and snow melt Chautauqua County has experienced. As you can see it looks as though the salamanders should be coming out soon and checking out these pools, but hopefully this wacky weather won’t wake them up quite yet!
Read MoreThe HWA Survey Season Begins!
Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for our first Hemlock Woolly Adelgid survey of the season! We will be meeting at Dobbin’s Woods, a Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy property, at 9:30AM. With our recent snows and predicted cold temperatures, please be sure to dress warmly and bring some snowshoes or skis to get around as the snow pack will be deep. We will have some extra snowshoes available if needed. For directions to the site, please visit: http://chautauquawatershed.org/index.php/preserves/our-preserves
Read MoreLearn About Amphibian and Reptile Conservation!
Please join us Wednesday, December 14th from 1:30-3:00 PM to learn more about our happily hibernating herptiles! RTPI is partnering with the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy to host an opportunity for the public to learn more about amphibians, reptiles and how we can conserve their species and habitats. This event will include short presentations by representatives from RTPI and CWC, as well as the showing of “Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Management,” a webinar coordinated by the National Resources Conservation Society (NRCS) and presented by Jen Williams, PhD, Federal...
Read MoreConnecting with Our Forests
While old man winter seemed to have taken a break this past season, we certainly did not as there was much work to be done! As you likely saw, we spent much of this past winter season getting into the field to survey for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an invasive insect threatening our local hemlock trees (Tsuga canandensis) and forests. Throughout the course of our field work and educational outreach programs, we not only had the opportunity to spread the word about this pest in attempts to slow the spread of it into our area, but also had the opportunity to learn a lot more about...
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