Parks need 'foster families' for tree seedlings in wake of ash borer attacks

Program to replace thousands of trees killed by infestations.

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer Updated 12:58 PM Monday, November 22, 2010

Five Rivers MetroParks needs volunteers for an unprecedented program to address the deaths of thousands of ash trees within five years as the emerald ash borer sweeps the landscape.

Officials plan to raise 10,000 seedlings annually from a variety of trees, largely using “foster families” to care for them until they can be planted to replace ash that make up 15 to 20 percent of woodlands.

At the same time, they’re selecting 600 ash trees in the park system for insecticide treatments to keep them alive, preserving an important source of the local ash gene pool.

It’s hoped that the emerald-colored beetle will pass through the area and possibly burn itself out, leaving survivor ash trees behind. The borer has already been detected in six MetroParks, said Dave Nolin, parks conservation director.

Officials project 2012 as the peak year for ash destruction in the parks, said Rick Stanforth, park manager at Cox Arboretum MetroPark, where the seedlings are being prepared. There are 15,130 ash at Cox alone, Stanforth said. “We’re just going to be cutting down trees,” he said. The ash will be shredded and used for mulch.

So far, MetroParks has signed up 100 volunteers for the reforestation effort, but could use hundreds more, said Stanforth.

Volunteers must agree to take home a flat of 36 seedlings. They don’t have to be planted and can stay outdoors in the flat, Stanforth said. A wire mesh cover will keep critters from poaching seedlings. Volunteers will receive educational instructions that will also provide learning activities for youngsters. After a year, the trees can return to MetroParks.

One thing that’s working in MetroParks’ favor is this year’s exceptional acorn production. Foresters have stuffed four refrigerators full of seeds collected from the parks by volunteers. There are bags full of oak, burr oak, buckeye, honey locusts, hickory and quite a few others stored at Cox.

Starting in spring 2011, MetroParks will inoculate 600 ash trees – some of them 300-year-old champions – to prevent borer infestation. They’ll need to be retreated every two years.

The emerald ash borer was identified in Ohio in 2003. It kills ash trees within three to five years of infestation. Adult beetles are dark metallic green, 1/2 inch in length and 1/8 inch wide, and fly only from mid-May to September. Larvae spend the rest of the year developing beneath the bark.

To volunteer for the reforestation, telephone MetroParks at (937) 275-PARK and ask for Kevin Kepler.

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