Join the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) for a free webinar from 10:00-11:30am on Thursday, September 15, to learn about beech leaf disease (BLD) and how you can help survey for it in the Adirondack region.

BLD was first detected in Ohio in 2012 and in New York State in 2018. In 2022, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) confirmed the presence of beech leaf disease in over 30 counties in New York including Herkimer County, the first infestation in the APIPP PRISM. Little is known about BLD, and researchers are still trying to determine its cause and how it spreads.

DEC Forest Health Specialist Maria MoskaLee will shed some light on BLD with a discussion on BLD history, identification and lookalikes, and research. APIPP Terrestrial Invasive Species Coordinator Becca Bernacki will cover basic survey techniques and how to sign up for a trail to survey, and New York Natural Heritage Program Invasive Species End User Support Specialist Mitchell O’Neill will review the iMapInvasives app, which can be used to report the presence of BLD. 

The Society of American Foresters has approved 1.5 hours of Category 1 Continuing Forestry Education credits for this workshop. Participants who desire credits must attend the entire webinar.