The Effect of the Emerald Ash Borer

Throughout both the United States and Canada, a single invasive species is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. This species is a beetle known as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). In the midwest alone, millions of ash trees have already died, and in Canada studies showed that up to 99% of all ash trees were killed within 10 years of EAB infesting the first tree in an area. The Illinois government has tried to combat the insect by cutting down all trees as soon as they become infested, as well as by passing a law which requires people to have a permit in order to import and export firewood. However, this only slowed the spread of EAB, and in just 10 years it had spread throughout the country. To help gain awareness of the effect similar situations could have on our own IMSA students, we would plan to host a GA that talked about the importance of trees in an individual's everyday life. At this GA, we could bring up topics of what trees produce for us that we use in our everyday life, and how students can help combat the loss of trees themselves, possibly by attending a tree planting event. In addition, at these events we also plan to discuss how IMSA students can help to decrease the EAB population through environmentally friendly means.