Monitoring for Emerald Ash Borer

Our summer interns spent last week raising traps in Miantonomi Memorial Park to monitor for the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle that has devastated ash trees throughout the United States.

Since its first U.S. sighting in 2002, the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has had a devastating effect on the ash tree population across the eastern United States, killing tens of millions of trees. While these destructive beetles have not yet been detected on Aquidneck Island, sightings have been reported elsewhere in Rhode Island.

The Newport Tree Conservancy and the City of Newport have, since 2014 been preparing for the arrival of EAB, and have secured grant funds to treat Newport's public ash trees. NTC and the City are now beginning our third cycle of treatment for a selection of Newport’s ash trees in hopes of keeping the invaders at bay.

Last summer, our student interns from the MET East Bay, Rogers High School, and Salve Regina University began assisting the University of Rhode Island's Biocontrol Lab in setting EAB traps in local parks, and created an inventory of all public ash trees in Newport to aid in our tracking and treatment efforts.