Investigating Trees: What happens to the environment when an invasive species changes it?
Materials:
- Access to an outdoor space (with the presence of ash trees)
- Pencil or pen
- Markers (optional)
- Paper
- Technology to create a video / internet to share it (optional)
- An adult to help
- Choose an outdoor space that you would like to investigate. This could be your backyard, a local park or somewhere else outside that is nearby.
- We are facing a time when an invasive species called the Emerald Ash Borer (or EAB) that feeds on and burrows in all species of North American ash trees. This map shows where they are currently found in Vermont:
- You can also find out more information on this website: Vermont Invasives.
- Your task is to go out and look for ash trees. You can use these pictures to help you find them.
- You can also use this website to see more pictures:
- Once you have found an ash tree, look for the signs and symptoms of EAB.
- You can use this website to see more photos of the presence of EAB: Identify EAB
- Keep looking for more ash trees to see if you have any presence of EAB. If you find evidence for EAB, you can be a citizen scientist by reporting your information here.
- Take notes on where you found the tree and take pictures.
- Finally, what can you do to help slow the spread of EAB? Answer the questions below and share them with your community by creating a brochure you can post online or a video that you can share your information!
- How do you think you could slow the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer from one place to another?
- What do people use wood for? How do you think this could move the EAB from one area to another?
- How can we be sure we are not moving EAB to a new place?
- What can people do in your community to stop the spread of EAB?
- How will this change the environment over time?
Contact education@vinsweb.org with questions or comments.