First Tuesday: Would you still love me if I was a worm…that ate trees?

When: Tuesday, April 6, at 7pm. Where: TBD Perhaps you've noticed trees turning brown near Washington Pass, or maybe you have conifers on your own property that are changing recently. Theres's a good chance insects are involved! Join us at this First Tuesday talk to learn more about some very important bugs from forest entomologist Dana Brennan. Would you still love me if I was a worm… that ate trees? Biology and recent trends of two native defoliating caterpillars with Dana Brennan Douglas-fir tussock moth and western spruce budworm are two of our most significant native defoliating insects in Washington. While most years these insects go unnoticed and undetected, some years they have population explosions that can cause very visible changes in our forests. This talk will explore the life history of these insects, how they interact with our forests, what drives their populations, how we monitor for them, and the recent and historical population trends we’re seeing in the area. While these are native insects that play an important ecological role in our forests, there are management strategies to lessen the impacts of these insects in our forests. ----------------- This presentation is free and open to the public. Contact Bridger with any questions. We encourage attendees to carpool to our events if possible. Call your neighbors, fill your car, reduce your emissions, and enjoy the company!