American Indian Solutions to Environmental Challenges

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  Toggle Favorite One strategy the Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment is using to save the black ash tree is the collection of black ash seeds. Each year, healthy seeds are harvested in New York and parts of Canada, then carefully recorded, dried, and stored until planting. 2010
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  Toggle Favorite The creation of black ash restoration areas is another strategy used across the Akwesasne reservation. Here workers plant black ash seedlings, placing tubes around the shoots to protect them. These areas will be monitored to check for healthy tree growth. 2009
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  Toggle Favorite This is a closeup of a black ash seedling growing inside protective tubing. Notice the feather-like shape and opposite branching of the leaves; these are two markers used to identify an ash tree. Dark leaf buds give the black ash tree its name. 2009
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  Toggle Favorite Before seedlings are planted in a restoration area, some of the other competing trees are removed. After planting, members of the Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment continue to monitor and thin out tree stands to promote healthy growth. 2009
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  Toggle Favorite TreeAzin is a chemical injected into the trunk of black ash trees to prevent emerald ash borer infestation. It was selected for use because it is not harmful to people. It travels up through the cambium layer to the top of the ash tree, making it distasteful to the insects. 2010
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  Toggle Favorite Public education is another important way to prevent EAB infestation. This poster warns campers about the dangers of transporting non-local firewood to campsites, because the wood could contain insects harmful to healthy trees. 2006
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  Toggle Favorite “So part of our effort is to get regeneration … to try to get the newer stuff coming in.”
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  Toggle Favorite “TreeAzin is a chemical that we inject into the trunks of the tree and it makes the tree sort of distasteful for the emerald ash borer, so they tend to leave those trees alone.”
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  Toggle Favorite “We have a lot of spots within the community that [are] wetlands, so we’ve managed to plant a bunch of trees there.”
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  Toggle Favorite “We’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years trying to educate people about not moving firewood, and just burn it up where you get it and not to move the bug.”
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  Toggle Favorite “Our orders or our mandates came from our community elders, who asked us to bring back black ash to the community.”

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