Ash Tree (submitted)
The Canadian Forest Service is asking Canadians to help them identify natural stands of healthy, mature ash tree stands.
The CFS’s National Tree Seed Centre is collecting ash seed for future restoration activities after the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect species from Asia discovered in this country in 2002, devastated many ash tree stands.
The National Tree Seed Centre’s Donnie McPhee says their goal is to have seed from every geographical and environmental region of Canada for each species.
He says there are about 190 tree species in the country and about 150 of those are storable.
“The reason we want to have it is so that when we’re hit with a problem like emerald ash borer, or down in your area the woolly adelgid, we want to be prepared.”
McPhee says they’re looking to collect trees from natural populations.
“We’re looking to collect and protect from the genetic diversity of ash across the country. We’re talking about a stand more 50 to 100 mature ash trees that are currently in a seed.”
McPhee says organizations, as well as the general public, can assist the centre by locating ash stands and populations and collecting seed to send.
