OSWEGO COUNTY – SLELO PRISM invites the community to attend a guided hike to learn how to survey hemlock trees for the presence of an invasive insect called Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). The hike is free and open to the public and takes place on Friday, Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Salmon River Falls Unique Area, located at 185 Falls Rd., Richland.
HWA is known to be present in Oswego County and kills hemlock trees, which are a key beneficial tree species in New York State and beyond. They can easily spread to other parts of the Eastern Lake Ontario Region such as the Tug Hill Forest.
The purpose of this hiking series is to recruit and train volunteers to keep an eye out for HWA while they are spending time outdoors this fall and winter and to report their observations using a free mobile app called iMapInvasives, a community science tool. These efforts help to detect HWA populations early before their populations grow too large to manage and contain.
No experience is needed, and training will be provided. Registration is required, as important information pertaining to the hikes as well as simple instructions to set up iMapinvasives will be emailed.
Register online at sleloinvasives.org/events or contact the SLELO PRISM Education and Outreach Coordinator at 315-522-1258.
For more information, visit the SLELO PRISM website at https://www.sleloinvasives.org/ or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sleloprisminvasives.
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.