The Maine Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project offers a casual training focused on a very serious threat. On Friday, March 14, eleven participants gathered at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson to learn about the invasive insects that are threatening the future health of Maine’s woodlands.

Lorraine Taft is a coordinator for the Maine Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Center, and since becoming aware of the looming threats posed by several notable insects several years ago, has dedicated huge amounts of her time to spreading the word. “Knowledge and awareness are going to be tools as important to combating these threats as any chemical treatment,” she said in an introduction on Friday. Armed with many stories about the effectiveness of a knowledgeable citizenry, Taft was persuasive.

The half-day training introduced citizens, educators, and foresters gathered at HVNC to the primary insects which are already in Maine, or on our borders. Karen Coluzzi of the Dept. of Agriculture and Alison Kanoti of the Maine Forest Service provided in-depth information about the life cycles of each insect, the exact threats posed, and any options available for mitigation and prevention. The message was loud and clear: the earlier the insects are reported the better our chances at preventing landscape scale change.

HVNC is home to a community of naturalists, botanists and nature-lovers of all kinds. “These kinds of communities are so important to spreading the word and raising awareness,” said Taft in speaking about the need for people to work together on this effort. HVNC hosts many classes which highlight all the reasons our forests are essential to our health. Whether it is because of forest products or a healthy life style, HVNC demonstrates that there are many diverse reasons to rally around the cause of protecting Maine’s forests.

For more information about HVNC’s events, or to find out how you can support HVNC visit www.hvnc.org, write to info@hvnc.org, or call 207-200-8840.