A three-year project to protect a species at risk in Ontario has begun.
Officials with the Sault’s Invasive Species Centre are looking for community help with collecting data related to black ash trees, which have been targeted by the emerald ash borer, an invasive species.
It has been more than two decades since the emerald ash borer was introduced to North America. It has devastated millions of ash trees in that time -- and its impact is still being felt.
“It’s predicted that, of the remaining black ash species in particular, within the coming decades up to 70 per cent of the remaining population might be affected,” said Vincent La Tassa of the Invasive Species Centre.
“So, yes, it’s still very much a real threat, and it does still have impact today.”
Protecting those remaining trees, especially black ash, is at the forefront of a new campaign at the centre.
Alongside the National Tree Seed Centre, experts will be collecting ash seeds to preserve genetic diversity -- and they’re looking for the public’s help.
“The call to action here is anyone that is able and is willing to go out and help with seed collection efforts,” La Tassa said.
“We’re also asking members of the public, whoever is interested … to help us map and document the locations of black ash.”
In the years since the emerald ash borer arrived in Canada, the popularity of the native trees has dwindled significantly.
In 2008, the City of Sault Ste. Marie stopped planting ash trees and now has just 21 ash trees in parks and other municipal spaces.
Timing for the initiative is critical, officials said, since it’s predicted that the next two growing seasons should yield a bumper crop of ash trees and the added information could help future generations of the trees in North America.
“We can kind of make a guess that any of the black ash trees that are surviving or that have survived the attack might have some kind of genetic resistance to the emerald ash borer,” La Tassa said.
The Invasive Species Centre has the ‘Ontario Black Ash Inventory Project’ live on the iNaturalist platform, to document the trees in your area.
The centre is launching a website in the coming months where volunteers can register and receive kits with more information on collecting seeds and what to do with them.
