Arboriculture

Scouts in Washington D.C., equipped with handheld computers, are surveying 8.500 American elms, Ulmus americana, on streets and city property. The scouts are looking for symptoms of Dutch elm disease. Trees with symptoms are reported to urban foresters, who then examine the trees further and prescribe treatment if necessary. The city, which once had over 25,000 American elms, has not surveyed trees in several years. With the infusion of funds from Casey Trees, scouting is now possible. American elms can be conserved through a combination of treatment and sanitation, but scouting is the first requirement. The National Park Service has a comprehensive program to preserve elms on Federal property

National Public Radio has a story by Margot Adler about smoke jumpers climbing trees in and around Central Park looking for Asian longhorned beetle. The story includes vivid descriptions of tree climbing. Previous story: Smoke Jumpers in Central Park

Adult Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis. Photo courtesy APHIS, US Department of Agriculture