Invasive Elm Zigzag Sawfly Confirmed in MA

Report Sightings to DCR Forest Health Program

MassWoods | UMass Amherst Extension

Cape Cod's Beech Forest To Be Inducted Into The Old Growth Forest Network

National Parks Traveler

"This coming Friday the Beech Forest at Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts will be formally inducted into the national Old-Growth Forest Network. To celebrate the dedication of this protected forest, a ceremony will be held at the Beech Forest trailhead at 11 a.m. Eastern, followed by a short trail walk with a plant ecologist. [...] The Beech Forest, located in Provincetown off the Race Point Road, offers a glimpse of the original arboreal landscape of Cape Cod. When the Mayflower landed in the early 17th century, much of the Cape was covered in pine-oak forests and groves of hickory, red maple, birch, and beech trees. Over the next 200 years, settlers cleared nearly all of these forests. Due to the Beech Forest’s low-lying position, it was spared from logging. It is the sole remnant of beech forest on the Cape. [...] The mission of OGFN is to connect people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature and publicly accessible native forests. The organization’s goal is to preserve at least one forest in every county in the United States that can sustain one, estimated to be 2,370 out of a total of 3,140 counties. OGFN’s program works to identify forests for the network, ensure their protection from logging and connect people to these properties to experience old-growth forests. OGFN also educates the public about the extraordinary ecological and human wellness benefits of old-growth forests and speaks out regarding immediate threats to specific ancient forests." READ MORE

Landscaper shares video showing exactly why a rain garden is useful: 'All that water ... was fully absorbed in a few hours'

Laurelle Stelle | The Cool Down

"...Rain gardens are popular in areas with heavy rainfall. Unchecked, rain can flood nonabsorbent paved areas, erode the soil it flows over, and wash dirt, fertilizer, and pesticide into nearby water sources. A rain garden is designed to trap the water and absorb it safely into the soil. It uses native plants with deep roots that help keep the ground loose so the water can soak in. Not only does it prevent the problems caused by runoff flowing over compacted soil, but it also means the plants get extra water so they can thrive, all without the owner spending a dime. Meanwhile, the excess water that soaks into the soil filters down into local aquifers, replenishing the water supply with clean, safe rainwater. [...] Their video was a 13-second clip of the rain garden in action. Between young shrubs and trees on a bed of mulch, water can be seen pooling on the ground during a heavy rainfall." READ MORE

Health care has a massive carbon footprint. These doctors are trying to change that

Reid Fraizer | NPR

"...Operating rooms are central to what hospitals do, but they're also at the root of a problem Woods and others at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) are trying to solve: how to reduce carbon pollution. 'Operating rooms are a pretty small part of the physical footprint of a hospital, but they produce an outsized amount of the waste,' Woods said. Hospitals are some of the biggest carbon polluters almost no one thinks about. The American health care system accounts for an estimated 8.5% of the country's carbon footprint. This sector emits climate warming pollution through a variety of sources including energy used to run facilities, transportation, products and what gets disposed of. [...] Woods eventually burned out. But two years ago she found a handful of other doctors at UPMC also interested in climate change. They formed Clinicians for Climate Action, which quickly grew to over 500 doctors, nurses and others inside UPMC's 40-hospital system. [...] The group's members recently got UPMC to phase out desflurane, an anesthetic gas that's 3,700 times more potent than carbon dioxide. They've also reduced cafeteria food waste and cut down on single-use items. For example, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh switched to reusable fingertip sensors to measure blood oxygen levels." READ MORE

Rain sees lower turnout for Berkshire Biodiversity Day in survey of Bow Wow Woods in South Egremont

Matt Martinez | The Berkshire Eagle

"A total of 298 — so far. That’s the number of unique species found by participants in the 14th annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day, colloquially known as the Berkshire BioBlitz. That number is subject to change, as more people will report species they found via email after the fact, said Jane Winn, executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team. Over a 24-hour period, a group of attendees scoured Bow Wow Woods, a 54-acre parcel in South Egremont acquired last year by Greenagers, the youth-based environmental education nonprofit that hosted the event. Maxwell Whalen, project coordinator for the trails program with Greenagers, explained that the nonprofit recently completed a number of trails in the woods and that this was the inaugural event for its use. Participants looked for fungi, birds, trees and insects at the property on a series of coordinated walks and hikes. Winn said that the event included an 'owl prowl,' an amphibian and reptile walk and a morning bird walk. After the 24 hours concluded, organizers and some participants met back at the Greenagers property at 92 Undermountain Road to hear the results. But believe it or not — 298 species is actually a down year for the event." READ MORE

Mass. conservationists welcome executive order to protect biodiverse lands and waters

Lynn Jolicoeur & Lisa Mullins | WBUR

"Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued an executive order ... calling for more strategic conservation of Massachusetts' lands and waters. The goal of the order is to promote biodiversity. It directs the state's Department of Fish and Game to set new conservation targets for state agencies to implement by the years 2030, 2040 and 2050. The governor said the move is necessary to protect critically important habitats and help mitigate the effects of climate change." READ MORE

Why Do Some Bees Dig?

Genevieve Pugesek | The Xerces Society Blog

"You may think of bees as born flyers, not diggers. However, many species of bees spend a good chunk of their lives underground. To navigate a subterranean world, these bees have evolved to be talented excavators. There are a few different reasons a bee might need to dig; if you spot a bee digging in the soil, take a moment to watch to see what it’s up to! [...] Many species of solitary bees, including sweat bees, cellophane bees, digger bees, and miner bees, nest in the ground. Each female constructs her own nest site herself by digging a tunnel in the soil. [...] As the weather starts to get cooler, you might observe large bumble bees crawling on the ground or digging in the soil. These are queen bumble bees, looking for a place to spend the winter. Unlike solitary bees, which rear their young on their own, bumble bees live in small colonies with many workers and a single queen. Most of the bees in the colony do not survive the winter: only the new queens, born in the fall or late summer, will live till the next year. [...] Though digging is a normal behavior for healthy bees, digging can also indicate that a bee is very, very sick. Infections by parasitic nematodes can cause bumble bee queens to spend a lot of time digging." READ MORE

How does climate change threaten your neighborhood? A new map has the details.

Kate Yoder | Grist

"If you’ve been wondering what climate change means for your neighborhood, you’re in luck. The most detailed interactive map yet of the United States’ vulnerability to dangers such as fire, flooding, and pollution was released on Monday by the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University. The fine-grained analysis spans more than 70,000 census tracts, which roughly resemble neighborhoods, mapping out environmental risks alongside factors that make it harder for people to deal with hazards. Clicking on a report for a census tract yields details on heat, wildfire smoke, and drought, in addition to what drives vulnerability to extreme weather, such as income levels and access to health care and transportation. The 'Climate Vulnerability Index' tool is intended to help communities secure funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law President Joe Biden signed last summer. An executive order from Biden’s early months in office promised that 'disadvantaged communities' would receive at least 40 percent of the federal investments in climate and clean energy programs. As a result of the infrastructure law signed in 2021, more than $1 billion has gone toward replacing lead pipes and more than $2 billion has been spent on updating the electric grid to be more reliable." READ MORE