Did You Know Ep. 3: Community science in action through the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Project in Maine
In this episode of Did You Know in the CivicSciTV Newsroom, Correspondent Shannon Geary spotlights a student-powered effort to track an invasive pest threatening forests across the Eastern Seaboard. Led by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Project engages thousands of studentsβfrom Massachusetts to Nova Scotiaβin hands-on ecological monitoring. The initiative is part of GMRIβs broader Ecosystem Investigation Network, which supports community science research in over 35 coastal communities annually.
The hemlock woolly adelgid, a sap-sucking insect native to Japan, was first reported in the U.S. in 1951. While it has devastated hemlock populations throughout much of the East Coast, it has yet to be detected in parts of northern New England. According to Meggie Harvey, GMRIβs Senior Program Manager, βWeβre some of the last places in the country that still have really healthy Hemlock trees and where this pest isnβt found, and so kids are going out every year to check their same trees to see if theyβre still healthy, to potentially be the first ones to spot this pest.β
Students participating in the project inspect hemlock trees for signs of infestation, documenting their findings in a public database used to inform forest management decisions. These efforts have also uncovered key climate trends. βThe data collected by these community scientists has shown that there is a strong link between temperature changes and the spread of the adelgid,β Harvey explains. During cold snaps, populations declineβbut as winters grow milder in the Gulf of Maine, the pest spreads more easily.
GMRI emphasizes action and optimism in the face of ecological change. βItβs really hard to go out and see a bunch of dead or dying trees,β says Harvey, βbut we try to focus on actions that are hopeful and positive and kind of bring people together, even as weβre seeing rapid changes.β
Harvey also points to the essential role of local knowledge: βNo one observes or notices or is prepared to document the change in a community like somebody who lives there and works there.β She adds, βHaving people who are invested in that place and who know the place well is critical in documenting changes that weβre seeing in our communities and our ecosystems.β
To explore more about GMRIβs community science initiatives, visit https://teach.gmri.org/ or access classroom resources at teach.gmri.org.
The hemlock woolly adelgid, a sap-sucking insect native to Japan, was first reported in the U.S. in 1951. While it has devastated hemlock populations throughout much of the East Coast, it has yet to be detected in parts of northern New England. According to Meggie Harvey, GMRIβs Senior Program Manager, βWeβre some of the last places in the country that still have really healthy Hemlock trees and where this pest isnβt found, and so kids are going out every year to check their same trees to see if theyβre still healthy, to potentially be the first ones to spot this pest.β
Students participating in the project inspect hemlock trees for signs of infestation, documenting their findings in a public database used to inform forest management decisions. These efforts have also uncovered key climate trends. βThe data collected by these community scientists has shown that there is a strong link between temperature changes and the spread of the adelgid,β Harvey explains. During cold snaps, populations declineβbut as winters grow milder in the Gulf of Maine, the pest spreads more easily.
GMRI emphasizes action and optimism in the face of ecological change. βItβs really hard to go out and see a bunch of dead or dying trees,β says Harvey, βbut we try to focus on actions that are hopeful and positive and kind of bring people together, even as weβre seeing rapid changes.β
Harvey also points to the essential role of local knowledge: βNo one observes or notices or is prepared to document the change in a community like somebody who lives there and works there.β She adds, βHaving people who are invested in that place and who know the place well is critical in documenting changes that weβre seeing in our communities and our ecosystems.β
To explore more about GMRIβs community science initiatives, visit https://teach.gmri.org/ or access classroom resources at teach.gmri.org.
