For many Vermonters and out-of-state visitors, summer means camping, hiking and taking part in other outdoor recreational fun. However, these activities can all spread invasive plants, insects and diseases, unless steps are taken to minimize damage to the environment.

The Nature Conservancy is asking everyone that plans to use firewood for the solar eclipse celebration weekend to buy local firewood near their destination, bring packaged certified heat-treated firewood, or gather their firewood responsibly on site if permitted by the campground or landowner.

The newly launched Vermont Forest Invasive Pest Status Map offers an interactive platform to track the spread of invasive species such as beech leaf disease, elm zigzag sawfly, elongate hemlock scale, emerald ash borer, and hemlock woolly adelgid across the state.

There’s a new invasive insect zigzagging its way across North America. First reported by citizen scientists in Quebec in 2020, the elm zigzag sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) has now spread to North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont. This new pest, which is native to Asia, has the potential to cause major devastation to one of our native tree species.

A new study led by a team of scientists from the Yale School of the Environment found differences at the cellular level of leaves from infected Beech trees — variations that may account for tree mortality.

Did you know that alert community members are the first to spot most invasive insect infestations? The Forest Pest First Detectors (FPFD) program trains volunteers to protect our forests. If you care about preserving our natural heritage, this free, on-line training is for you!

When you are in your sugarbush this winter, be on the lookout for signs of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). 

Mile-a-minute weed (MAM, Persicaria perfoliata), a highly invasive plant, has been confirmed for the first time in Vermont.

Beech leaf disease (BLD), caused by the invasive nematode or roundworm Litylenchus crenatae mccannii, has been confirmed for the first time in Vermont.

The invasive insect known as Elm zigzag sawfly (EZS) has been confirmed for the first time in Vermont. After receiving a report of potential EZS activity in northwestern Vermont, staff from both the Forest Health program of the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) and Plant Health program of the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (AAFM), collected larval samples from affected elm foliage in May 2023.  Samples were sent to the US Department of Agriculture Plant Protection and Quarantine program for identification, and EZS has now been officially confirmed within the state.