Steps for Identifying and Recording Ash
1. Find ash
Brown ash likes to “keep its feet wet” and tends to grow in wetlands or along streams where the water table is higher. Green and white ash are typically found in low hills with moist soil, but green ash is more rare to see in Maine forests. Green and white ash are also common ornamental street trees.
You can use aerial imagery to identify potential ash tree stands within forests. Check out this video made by Colleen Teerling for instruction on how to use Google Earth to find stands.
2. Identify different species of ash
One can identify different types of ash by their distinctive bark, leaves, fruit, twigs, and wood. For a detailed look at the distinctions between white, green, and brown ash, check out this graphic of their distinguishing characteristics, or refer to this excerpt from the Forest Trees of Maine guide. We also recommend checking out the State of Maine’s webpage, Is it an Ash Tree? Please note that Wabanaki knowledge holders only harvest brown ash trees with certain characteristics, so even if you find a brown ash tree on your property, it may not be basket quality.
3. Collect data about ash
As the dual threats of EAB and climate change are impacting Maine’s forests, it is more urgent than ever before to obtain geographic and characteristic data about ash trees. Inventory data about brown ash, in particular, is lacking because it was not scoped for harvest by timber companies. You can help our efforts to monitor, collect seed, and manage ash by keeping records of ash on the land you care for.
Instructions and data sheets detailing how to collect data and inventory ash forests can be found on the Ecosystem Investigative Network’s Protecting Ash for the Future page.
If you are a forester or land steward with time and resources to support your work, consider doing a more thorough inventory of ash on the land you care for by following the instructions in Tyler Everett’s Ash Inventory Field Manual.
4. Submit data to APCAW and Maine Forest Service through the Ecosystem Investigative Network
Submitting your ash inventory data to the EIN will help the Maine Forest Service monitor emerald ash borer outbreaks, find potential seed-bearing trees for research, and find potential basket quality ash trees. Location data you collect about brown ash will not be shared publicly but will be shared privately with Tribal Nations to assess basket quality brown ash and share with Wabanaki basketmakers.
Everyone is needed in this effort. Under 10 percent of Maine’s area is publicly managed land, so we need the help of landowners and community members from all over.