Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an invasive forest pest that has decimated forests in the southeastern United States and has been threatening forests in the southeastern region of the Adirondacks for several years. “Protecting Hemlocks from Hemlock Woolly Adelgid” is a webinar for anyone who is interested in learning about the important ecological role hemlocks play and what efforts are underway to protect them from HWA.
Two experts. Caroline Marschner, Outreach Coordinator for the New York State Hemlock Initiative, and Jason Denham, Supervising Forester with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, provided an overview of hemlocks, basic information on chemical and biocontrol management, how hemlock sites are selected for management in the Lake George region, and how HWA treatment is performed. Ari Giller-Leinwohl, the Terrestrial Invasive Species Manager for the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, then walked attendees through how to identify hemlocks and HWA, and how to adopt a trail to monitor through APIPP’s volunteer Forest Pest Hunters program.
In 2024, Forest Pest Hunter volunteers adopted 42 trails and spent a collective 350 hours conducting HWA surveys, with 834 non-detections and 106 detections. Those efforts are essential to managing HWA in the Adirondacks. Visit www.adkinvasives.com and sign up today to help protect Adirondack forests from invasive pests.