Emerald Ash BorerThe cold weather may be miserable, but it does have some benefits. According to Steve Whitaker, district forester at the Jasper-Pulaski Tree Nursery, prolonged periods of very cold weather has been shown to slow down the population growth of the emerald ash borer, an invasive species that is now considered the most destructive forest pest ever seen in North America.
Fall kicked off this weekend and now many people are looking to the trees in the hopes of catching an eyeful of this year’s fall foliage, and for those people, a local forester has some good news: this year’s conditions have been nearly ideal for trees to boast resplendent autumn scenery. Steve Whitaker, district forester at the Jasper-Pulaski Tree Nursery, said he expects a colorful fall to begin soon as trees are already showing signs of turning colors.
