Tree and Plant Biodiversity

Property owners may wish to enhance privacy and aesthetics and the listed providers can help them achieve their ideal setting.

The News and Notes roundup for this issue: Asks, "Should you squish a spotted lanternfly?"; notes that grants for forestry projects and protection are open in Anne Arundel County; describes how researchers are using drones and AI to map forests; reports on a new story map that documents saltwater intrusion in the Delmarva; and shares one way to stay warm this winter... with just one log. 

This webinar series, designed for green industry professionals, was held in two parts (fall 2020 and spring 2021).

Two new publications are now available from the University of Maryland Extension and partners to help you manage your woodlands.

The News and Notes roundup for this issue shares news about a potentially new invasive plant species that may affect Maryland, and information about a potentially new avenue for fighting Emerald Ash Borer. Additional items share a property owner's journey to stewardship, a way for power utilities to expand early successional habitat, and results of a survey that asked property owners about methods for managing invasive species.

Dramatic declines in pollinators and grassland and shrub-dependent birds like bobwhite quail, meadowlarks, and more highlight the need for habitat improvement efforts on a broad scale. Our vision is for this meeting to provide education, networking, and inspiration to facilitate habitat improvement efforts across the region.

A non-native nematode is causing beech leaf disease in native Maryland beech trees. This article offers advice on identifying BLD in local beech trees and what to do if you find evidence.

Spring is here, and there is no better time to get outside and plant new trees on your property or in your community. And opportunities to do so abound this time of year. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and many other environmental groups are hosting tree-planting events throughout the region to improve water quality, create wildlife habitat, clean the air and enhance climate resiliency for the watershed.

Eastern hemlock is a coniferous tree that favors the cool and humid climate along the Appalachian Mountains. Hemlocks can grow more than 150 feet tall and live for more than 800 years. Their short, dense needles provide excellent habitat for many kinds of wildlife, from warblers to bobcats. Unfortunately, healthy hemlocks are becoming increasingly rare due to the invasive insect called hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). New efforts by the Virginia Dept. of Forestry are combatting this invasive bug with another bug.

In this issue: Help us learn more about our readers and subscribers by taking our short survey. Read about a potential ally in the fight against hemlock wooly adelgid, and how Marylanders can get a rebate for planting native trees. There's information about our spring session of "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course, plus our regular features: the "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight" looks at the American beaver and "Invasives in Your Woodlands" looks at Princess tree. And don't forget the events calendar and the Brain Tickler challenge.