Toast to Independence Day! (marshmallows that is)
June 29, 2011
S’mores and Independence Day are two American treasures that go hand-in-hand. However, this 4th of July, consider celebrating and protecting another American treasure while you’re building your campfire: Florida forests.
Many harmful pests and diseases are transported via firewood and result in the destruction of millions of trees across the United States. These invasive pests include the emerald ash borer, Sirex wood wasp, the Asian longhorned beetle and the gypsy moth. Diseases such as beech bark disease, sudden oak death and oak wilt are commonly spread as well.
Protect your backyard, campground and Florida’s forests by preventing the spread of these pests and diseases. Here are three easy tips to keep in mind during your red, white and blue celebration:
1. Use local firewood
Purchase aged firewood where you are going to burn it. Make sure the firewood you purchase is dry and has loose bark. This reduces the risk of spreading diseases and makes starting the fire much easier for you.
2. Burn all firewood
Use all firewood purchased at your campsite. If possible, try cooking over gas or charcoal as an alternative to burning wood.
3. Don’t take firewood home with you
Don’t leave behind any unused wood, and don’t bring it or its critters along with you when you leave. If you are unable to burn all of your wood, hand it off to a nearby camper, and ask them to burn it all before they leave.
Preserve the security of our forests. For more information about firewood safety, check out our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVMBEmJ5DHI. For a gallery of pests and FAQS, visit http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/.
Speaking of security, stay tuned for an update from Linus, the Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection (DHS/CBP) agricultural detector dog. One of his canine counterparts and other important figures with be visiting Miami International Airport next week to remind travelers to not pack pests! Here is an inside look at Linus’ job of protecting our environment and one of Florida’s chief industries: agriculture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dea5Y-ksKeY.
Are you helping to keep Florida green? We are.
March 18, 2011
St. Patrick’s Day marks the sight of people wearing green everywhere, either to celebrate or avoid being pinched. St. Patty’s Day is associated with a number of religious and cultural traditions, and the luck of the Irish, of course. However, there was a time when the Irish were not so lucky. Ever heard of the Irish Potato Famine? Let’s go back to the 1800s.
More than 150 years ago, Ireland was a largely agricultural nation, many Irish people were tenant farmers and the potato, imported from South America, was a staple crop. In the mid-1800s, potato plants started to show signs of a strange, new disease that rotted potatoes and made them inedible. This disease spread across Ireland, drastically reducing Ireland’s potato production, causing mass starvation, devastation and what is known today as the Irish Potato Famine.
The culprit behind the famine was Phytophthora infestans, a fungus-like airborne microbe not native to Ireland. The Irish Potato Famine is just one example of how invasive species can devastate the environment and agricultural systems in an area, consequently affecting the lives and livelihoods of people in that area.
Closer to home, in 2004, another fungus in the Phytophthora family, sudden oak death (Phytopthora ramorum), was found in a North Florida nursery.
Florida is a sentinel state for invasive pests and diseases, as it serves as an international hub for travel, trade and tourism. Left unmanaged or unregulated, Florida could easily become a major port of entry for undetected plant pests and diseases. However, agencies like USDA and FDACS/DPI serve to protect citizens and the environment and agriculture industries that play such a large role in their daily lives by monitoring, regulating and researching pests and diseases. Just last year, Florida was affected by citrus black spot, Mediterranean fruit flies, laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle, the Oriental fruit fly, Mikania micrantha, the peach fruit fly and the European pepper moth, among so many other plant and apiary pests and diseases.
Don’t just wear green. Help keep Florida green by supporting USDA and FDACS/DPI efforts. You can help by becoming aware of invasive pests and diseases threatening Florida, and by making sure that when you travel, you don’t pack a pest. Learn more about Florida’s plant and apiary industries at http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi.
Sudden oak death? There’s an app for that.
January 25, 2011
Image: www.oakmapper.org
In a world of social media, smart phones and information available with the touch of a screen, it is no surprise that mobile applications have made their way into the plant protection community. In response to concern of sudden oak death in California, researchers at the University of California-Berkeley developed OakMapper, an iPhone application geared toward hikers and nature enthusiasts to report trees with symptoms of sudden oak death. Using the free application, iPhone users can report trees by identifying the tree species, symptoms, environmental settings and additional descriptions. The application uses the iPhone’s built-in GPS to add the report to maps showing both officially confirmed and community-reported cases of sudden oak death.
Foliar lesions on Rhododendron
Sudden oak death is a disease caused by the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, and affects a variety of plant species. Sudden oak death has previously been found in Florida. To prevent the spread of sudden oak death and protect host species, always purchase plants from a registered nursery, and report symptoms to the DPI Helpline at 1-888-397-1517.
