MONROE COUNTY EAB TASK FORCE - JANUARY 23, 2013 MINUTES
NEXT EAB MEETING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013 AT 3:00
OLMSTED LODGE
171 RESERVOIR AVENUE
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Mark Quinn opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and apologized for any mix-up with the
January meeting date.
o He suggested that the task force look at the calendar and determine a schedule of meetings
for the year.
Mark also suggested we look at our successes in 2012 and look at 2013 as a chance to regroup and
revisit goals.
o Some committees have received a lot of interest and attention, and others have not.
o Let’s try to avoid being idle.
Mark facilitated a group sharing session and each person in attendance had an opportunity to share
what they personally have been working on or have heard about the EAB.
o Walt Nelson said that there are some great websites out there that can provide info about
grants.
 Community survey that’s been produced that assesses municipalities’ ready plans
and ash inventories.
 Wood utilization webinar.
 Study that links the EAB infestation with human health. There are correlations
between loss of ash trees and respiratory and heart problems. It is difficult to link
them, but there are correlations.
o Ryan Loysen spoke about the developments with the EAB Awareness Week event/s.
 Chili Public Library will host an awareness event at their facility on Saturday, May
18th, 2013, from 10am until noon.
 Mark Gooding, June Summers, and Ryan have met twice with Chili Library
representatives and they’ve decided the program will cater to kids, families,
and adults/landowners.
o “The Bug Bonanza- EAB Awareness Day Event” will be publicized and
pitched in different ways, depending on the medium.
o The theme of the event will be something to the effect of “TSI- Tree
Scene Investigators” and participants will come to the welcome table
to get a passport that invites them to visit at least 3 of the
stations/booths/tables/activities to get their passport stamped.
Upon completion of at least 3 stations, they can return to the
welcome table to get their “badge” (a tree “cookie”… aka crosssection of an ash tree) and have chance to decorate it and put their
name on it.
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The stations will include 1) a short Ash tree ID hike on which they will
locate an ash tree and place one of the purple ribbons or yellow tags;
2) a “microhike” for which each participant will get a piece of string,
a magnifying glass, a 3x5 card, and a pencil. They will stretch out
their string on the ground and go on a “hike” along the length of
their string, writing down or drawing each item they see through
their magnifying glass; 3) possibly a short presentation from the
Wegmans Zoomobile about insects and other related creatures; 4) an
EAB “basics” table that will showcase “all things EAB,” including
specimens of the insect, the trees and leaves of affected ash trees,
etc.; 5) craft table with an EAB mask, an EAB coloring sheet, an EAB
maze/word search, and an EAB clothespin craft; 6) Story/book time
about EAB and other insects. There will be a 7th table for snacks
including tree-shaped cookies and bug juice.
o Need volunteers from the EAB Task Force May 18th.
 Jason Beardsley, Karl Reinhold, and Margo Bowerman already
signed up; need 3 or 4 more volunteers to work the stations.
Arbor Day will be celebrated on Friday, April 26th, 2013 at a location to be determined.
 Mark Quinn will work with the Arbor Day committee to replace an affected ash tree
for the annual tree-planting ceremony.
 The committee meets soon and Mark will keep us up to date.
Need to do our first revision/update to the EAB awareness flyer.
 We are just about out of the copies that have already been printed.
 New maps showing the spread of EAB are available.
 When should we reprint?
Mark Gooding said that the DEC Forest Health Crew has been out and established sentinel
ash trees to try to locate and identify EAB locations.
 He estimates a 1 to 4 mile spread in the past year.
 The Caledonia and Chili infestations have essentially merged.
Sally Whistler from Cornell Department of Natural Resources says there are 4 other EAB task
forces in New York. Maybe there’s some benchmarking that can be done with the other
groups.
Mary Ellen from State DOT said that they are monitoring hazardous trees.
Margo Bowerman from Orleans County CCE says she has can assist this EAB TF with
education efforts as well as volunteer management. She works with 4H programs and has
experience developing education efforts to spread the word about invasive species and EAB.
Representative from Ted Collins says there’s no panic among the public regarding the EAB.
City of Rochester says they’re continuing their treatment of affected trees.
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County DES says that they are grinding wood for the city.
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Urban Forestry LLC says that some of the grants out there that have been 50/50 matching
may not have a matching requirement going forward.
o Jerry Peterson said he handed out many of the EAB awareness flyers at venues and stores.
He says there’s also a great article about “decision making” related to EAB.
o Jason from Ted Collins says that he/they are in search of an EAB costume/mascot. Ted
Collins may be interested in sponsoring the creation of such a mascot.
 June Summers from GV Audubon requested the EAB mascot’s presence at the May
18th EAB Awareness Day (if one comes into existence).
 Karl Reinhold suggested the EAB mascot run in the Lilac 10K.
 Jason also said it would be great to use the May 18th event as a template for future,
additional awareness events.
 He also suggests that we put EAB flyers in the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland
Park.
 What other EAB education opportunities are out there? Lilac Fest? At the DES
Booth? At the CCE Master Gardeners’ booth at Lilac?
o It was mentioned that maybe the US Forest Service and/or the State have an education
booth about EAB.
 Maybe we can get this booth at one of our awareness events?
o Nick Kramer from Hamlin Conservation Board says that Hamlin is continuing with their
inventory and response plan.
o James from MC Soil & Water Conservation District says we should identify more venues that
have educational potential, such as the events at Seneca Park Zoo.
 He also mentioned that the National Association of Conservation Districts published
an article that states that the EAB is now in 18 states, that there have been drastic
increases in the spread, and an approximate $12.5 billion will be necessary to deal
with EAB management and control.
o Town of Greece received their grant to replace/plant trees that are being removed (in
Braddock Bay Park and others).
2013 goals discussion
o Equipment Sharing and Education subgroups are in good shape.
 What about the other proposed subgroups? Do we want to continue with them?
o Meeting schedule?
 We will decide in March what the schedule going forward should be.
o Maybe MCEABTF has a booth at Olmsted Birthday events and/or 125th anniversary of the
parks events?
 The next MCEABTF meeting is
 WEDNESDAY, March 20th, 2013
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A reminder and agenda will be emailed prior to the meeting