Much of the sand at Ontario Beach is currently covered in grey and white shells. They’re everywhere; it’s like walking on a carpet of walnuts. The shells are from dead zebra mussels, an invasive species that first appeared in Lake Ontario in the late 1980’s. (Some are also, more than likely, shells from the similar […]
invasive species
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Volunteers needed to save Eastern hemlocks
Though generally hardy, Eastern hemlocks are under attack by the tiny woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has decimated hemlocks from Pennsylvania to Georgia. The insects have now been spotted on hemlocks around the Canandaigua Lake area and in Rochester. The Finger Lakes Hemlock Initiative says that a network of volunteers is needed to learn […]
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Wooly bully
The hemlock wooly adelgid is a tiny invasive pest, similar to aphids, that preys on native and ornamental hemlock trees. The bugs kill the trees needle by needle and limb by limb; an unaddressed infestation can mean a slow death. This summer, a crew from the state Department of Environmental Conservation is surveying the state […]
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Destructive beetle in county parks
The emerald ash borer has been detected in Oatka Creek, Black Creek, and Genesee Valley parks. It’s a serious situation, officials say, because 20 percent of the trees in Monroe County’s parks are ash trees. The invasive beetle is deadly to New York’s native ashes. The county wants to get ahead of the bugs and […]
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CSI: invasive species
The Erie Canal revolutionized transportation and commerce by giving farmers and merchants a cheaper, easier way to move goods across the state. The present-day canal is primarily a recreational waterway, though it might also be taking on a new, undesirable role as a pathway for the spread of aquatic invasive species between some state waters, […]
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Ash borer creeping along in Monroe County
Like many Monroe County communities, the Village of Fairport has a long-term plan to address the threat the emerald ash borer poses to its ash tree population. A few years ago, the village identified a number of ash trees susceptible to infestation by the invasive beetle, says Fairport Tree Board chair Ken Rohr. Every year […]
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Trees for Mount Hope
Hundreds of trees in the historic Mount Hope Cemetery have fallen victim in recent years to weather, old age, and disease — about 250 trees since 2010. The comforting canopy of oaks, maples, spruces, and other tree varieties is a vital part of the aesthetic of the historic cemetery, officials say, so plans are under […]
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Protecting the Great Lakes from Asian carp
For the past few years, the US Army Corps of Engineers has been preparing a plan to stop the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species from Mississippi River basin waters into the Great Lakes. The report, released Monday, lays out seven possible approaches toward that goal, as well as a “no action” scenario. The […]
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Study: woodpeckers are eating ash borers
The emerald ash borer has devastated ash tree populations in some states and is expected to do some serious damage in other areas. Part of the reason is because, as as invasive, non-native insect, it lacks predators. But apparently, woodpeckers have developed a taste for the ash borer, according to a new study — “Effects of […]
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Lakes love
A bipartisan group of House representatives called the Great Lakes Caucus has introduced legislation that would provide significant funding to improve water quality in the lakes. | The bill would reauthorize and fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Great Lakes Legacy Act, and the Great Lakes National Program Office. It would also create the […]
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Emerald county
With camping season set to begin, it’s time to talk firewood and its role in preventing the spread of the emerald ash borer, a destructive invasive species that has been found in Monroe County. Members of the Monroe County Emerald Ash Borer Task Force are trying to reinforce a simple message: don’t transport firewood from […]
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Report notes changes in Lake Ontario, other Great Lakes
Warmer surface water temperatures and declining winter ice cover suggest that climate change is affecting the Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, says a report released this week by the International Joint Commission. The report evaluates 16 indicators of the Great Lakes’ health and water quality. And for the most part, the measurements are trending in […]
