Wow. This is (a) super interesting in itself, and (b) good news for our ash trees. I've seen so many dying ash trees in my part of England, it breaks my heart. This is very encouraging news and congrats to the people at Kew Gardens and at Queen Mary, good work. Also a really well-written piece, hat tip to author #NatashaWard.
#AshTree update. I went down to the Saco River and positively identified a White Ash tree that might *not* have #EAB (Emerald Ash Borer). It did have a lot of invasive vines choking it out (Oriental Bittersweet being one), so I did my best to cut and remove the vines. The tree also had some sprouty bits emerging. Not sure what that means. I'm wondering if I could safely remove those and get them to root, but I'll leave them alone until I find out. I still have to report the infected Green Ash trees down the street to #MDIFW, and find out what should be done with them (not on our property, but a parcel that's about to be developed). I want to make sure the owners know to how to dispose of them safely without spreading more EAB.
So, I attended part of the #APCAW conference tonight. Lots of good information about #EAB, and traditional use of #Ash. And that not all ash trees are good for basketry! I'll be posting what I learned (as well as other resources) later this week...
#WabanakiCulture #CulturalPreservation #Maine #MaineForestService #AshTree
#AshTrees #APCAW
#InvasiveSpecies #ProtectTheForests
#SaveTheTrees #WabanakiCulture
#WabanakiBasketry #WabanakiTradition
#Forestry #ProtectTheSacred #Wabanakik
Today, June 5, 2025. Webinar: Everything #Ash Webinar Series: APCAW panel – Cultural importance of Ash, multicultural response to #EAB
Everything Ash Webinar Series: How & Why We Should Respond to the #EmeraldAshBorer Crisis
"During May and June, #MaineAudubon and partners will host a four-part series of evening webinars, each of which will focus on a specific aspect of the looming EAB crisis. Leaders from government, research, and cultural organizations will educate and inspire us about ash trees and what can be done to conserve them. The webinars will take place at 6 pm on select Thursdays.
"APCAW panel—Cultural importance of Ash, multicultural response to EAB
"A panel of #Wabanaki and non-Wabanaki researchers at the Ash Protection Collaboration Across #Waponahkik lab will share and discuss the benefits of a blended, multicultural approach to protecting our ash, as well as how people can get involved to support this work."
FMI and to register:
https://maineaudubon.org/events/everything-ash-webinar-series-june5/
#AshTree Protection Collaboration Across #Wabanakik
"Ash trees, in particular brown ash (used interchangeably with black ash, Fraxinus nigra), are a cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and a crucial part of wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. The spread of the invasive forest pest EAB has caused 99% brown ash tree mortality in other areas of Turtle Island, and will have a considerable effect on ecosystems and traditions as it spreads through the Dawnland.
"Partners of the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik’s (APCAW) have been working for 20 years to prepare for the onset of EAB in Northeastern forests. We are committed to identifying research-informed strategies to protect the future of ash in the Dawnland that align with Wabanaki priorities. The purpose of this website is to share practical knowledge with those who seek to take actions to maintain ash on the landscape. If you’d like to receive event announcements in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter here. Read on to find information about the cultural importance of ash, seed collection efforts, and emerald ash borer (EAB) management.
Why are we called the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik?
"Our name emerged from collaborative conversations about the goals of our shared work. We decided to use the word #Wabanakik to refer to the place where we are located in an effort to center Wabanaki language and ways of knowing. Wabanakik is a term with slightly different meanings in each eastern #Algonquin language, but can be understood in English to mean either 'in the location of the land which is referred to as the #Dawnland' or 'in the location of the People of the Dawn.' Wabanakik stretches from Newfoundland in the north, to mid-Maine in the south, and parts of Quebec in the west.
"APCAW members acknowledge that we are located in the homeland of the #WabanakiConfederacy, which includes the #Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Tribal Nations. Wabanakik has a ongoing legacy of #colonialism, of #StolenLand, broken treaties, forced removal and genocide of Wabanaki peoples which have fragmented Wabanaki relationships to land. The People of the Dawn maintain a sacred relationship with brown ash trees since time immemorial. APCAW’s work is to center, protect, and restore this ongoing relationship between Wabanaki peoples and ash ecosystems.
Who are we?
"The Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik (APCAW) is a group of Indigenous and non-indigenous researchers, Tribal members, and forest caretakers working together to bring more awareness of the cultural and ecological significance of ash trees and efforts to conserve them. APCAW continues the initiative set forth by the EAB and Brown Ash Taskforce, which began in the early 2000s to facilitate the collaborative capacity of Wabanaki basketmakers, Tribal Nations, state and federal foresters, and others to prevent, detect, and respond to the EAB. APCAW gives platform to the work of a broad range of partners, including:
• University of Maine School of Forest Resources
• Tribal Nations
#MikmaqNation, Presque Isle
#HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, Houlton
#PassamaquoddyTribe at #IndianTownship
Passamaquoddy Tribe at #PleasantPoint #Sipayik
#PenobscotNation, Indian Island
• Wabanaki basketmakers and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance
• State and Federal Forestry Agencies
USDA APHIS
State of Maine Department of Agriculture & Forestry
State, Private, and Tribal Forest Service
• Conservation organizations and seed saving organizations
The #WildSeedProject
#MaineLandTrustNetwork
Learn more (includes links to resources):
https://umaine.edu/apcaw/
How to protect #AshTrees and preserve a #Wabanaki tradition
October 29, 2024
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 29, 2024
"How to help protect the brown ash tree used in Wabanaki basketry from the invasive emerald ash borer.
• Cut, buy, or burn only local firewood.
• Monitor for telltale signs of infestation.
• If you own land, know if you have brown ash.
• If your ash is healthy, contact a forester or #MaineForestService about how to keep them alive.
• Collect seed pods from healthy brown ash for replanting.
• Consider offering Wabanaki artists access to your brown ash."
Source [may be behind a paywall]:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/29/how-to-protect-ash-trees-and-preserve-a-wabanaki-tradition/
#Maine #MFS #EAB #EmeraldAshBorer #AshTree #AshTrees #APCAW #InvasiveSpecies #Wabanaki #ProtectTheForests #MaineNews #Maine #SaveTheTrees #WabanakiCulture #WabanakiBasketry #WabanakiTradition #Forestry #ProtectTheSacred #SolarPunkSunday
#EmeraldAshBorer Confirmed on #MountDesertIsland
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry sent this bulletin at 04/01/2025 03:42 PM EDT
AUGUSTA, #Maine — "Maine State Forester Patty Cormier today announced that the #MaineForestService (#MFS) Forest Health and Monitoring Division has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (#EAB) on Mount Desert Island (#MDI) outside of the previously regulated area.
"A licensed professional arborist in Bar Harbor made the detection. The infested area shows signs of a well-established EAB population, with visible damage to ash trees from public roads.
"'This is an unfortunate but not entirely unexpected discovery,' said Cormier. 'We’ve known that EAB continues to spread throughout Maine, and we appreciate the vigilance of local arborists and community members. Public awareness is important to detecting and responding to this destructive forest pest.'
"As a result of this detection, the Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry will expand the current EAB quarantine to include all towns on MDI. This non-contiguous quarantine may help slow the spread.
"Key guidance for landowners, municipalities, and the public includes:
- #AshTree material should remain on MDI. Logs, branches, or wood waste from removed trees should be disposed of on-site or at an island-based disposal facility.
- Ash chips are not regulated and may be legally transported off the island.
- High-value ash trees that are not heavily infested can be evaluated and may be preserved through systemic insecticide treatment by licensed pesticide applicators. These treatments require periodic reapplication.
- Infested ash trees will decline quickly and become structurally unstable. Property owners and managers are urged to evaluate ash trees near infrastructure for potential treatment or removal.
"The MFS and collaborators, including the Ash Protection Collaboration Across #Wabanakik's (#APCAW), Sustaining Ash Partners Network (#SAPNe), and #USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service, continue to support ongoing mitigation efforts, including:
- Release of biological control organisms from federal partners by MFS through community partnerships.
- Seed collection and protection for future restoration led by APCAW.
- Education and technical support by varied partners.
- Public tree management and replanting through state and federal funding opportunities.
"'Emerald ash borer is one of the most damaging forest pests we face,' added Cormier. 'By working together—with awareness, early detection, and coordinated response—we can slow its spread and protect Maine’s forest resources.'"
Learn more:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MEDACF/bulletins/3d9a239
#InvasiveSpecies #Wabanaki #ProtectTheForests #MaineNews #Maine #SaveTheTrees #WabanakiCulture #WabanakiBasketry #WabanakiTradition #Forestry
Happy equinox, the traditional time for the festival of Ostara. In 2023, I made this mixed-media artwork inspired by Pagan tradition.
The recent storm brought down several branches from a very old and tall ash tree. Branches are full of lichen looking very lush. The tree is very much alive (but very old).
#lichen #highlands #ashtree
This morning's sunrise behind the 170 year old Argyle Street Ash Tree in the West End of Glasgow.
The Argyle Street Ash Tree in the West End of Glasgow. Believed to have been accidently planted when the tenemenets were built around 1850, this lone tree has somehow survived for almost 175 years. This makes it older than many other features of the West End, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow University's Gilmorehill Campus, and even the nearby Kelvingrove Park.
One of eight stones in the Leaf Trail in Victoria Park in Glasgow. Each one features a poem about a species of tree which relates to a letter in the Gaelic alphabet and were created by Colin McLeod and his colleagues at GalGael in Govan.
The Argyle Street Ash Tree in Glasgow looking magnificent in today's early morning sun. Both the tree and the tenements behind it date from around 1850.
The tree removal company arrived today to remove the dead ash trees from our property. The ash trees killed by emerald ash borer (EAB).
Twenty ash trees were removed.
Twenty trees that provided shelter for birds and small mammals, shade, water filtratrion, soil stabilization.
Yes, I am sad. I am angry!
I watched those trees grow from saplings. I nutured them. From the parent tree.
Now they are just debris in our yard. Even the parent.
I love this little #AshTree outside my window (there's a busy road between us) and every Autumn I take photos to follow its leaf-loss. Today's gusty warm wind has stripped away the last few.
