Interview: Megan Pistolese-Shaw talks Hike to Save Hemlocks

Community members are invited to attend guided walk-and-talk training sessions to occur now through February at public trails throughout the eastern Lake Ontario region.

The purpose of the guided walk and talk series is to recruit and train volunteers to recognize and report hemlock woolly adelgid or HWA which is an invasive insect that kills hemlock trees.

The hikes are hosted by the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO PRISM) and the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust (THTLT). 

SLELO-PRISM's Education Outreach Coordinator Megan Pistolese-Shaw recently joined our North Country News and discussed this series of upcoming hikes. Be sure to listen to our latest on-air segment here:

HWA has been confirmed present in Oswego County and there is concern that the insect may spread to the Tug Hill Region, Adirondack Park and other forested areas. With the help of volunteers there is a higher chance that new infestations of this invasive pest can be found early enough to treat and contain.

Registration to attend the hikes are required. The first hike in the series will be held this Friday, November 18th from 10 AM to 12 PM at the Joseph Blake Wildlife Sanctuary located at 31827 Middle Rd, Watertown, NY. You can get the full hike schedule and register to join at www.sleloinvasives.org/events.

Image by St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management.