Mitchell Center to host talk on efforts to stop the invasive emerald ash borer, April 11

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

March 30, 2022 Forestry and the Environment, Signature and Emerging Areas, Sustainability Solutions and Technologies

The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk on bringing together diverse interests to slow the spread of the invasive emerald ash borer and protect Maine’s ash trees on Monday, April 11, 3–4 p.m.

The emerald ash borer poses a potentially devastating threat to all three species of ash tree (brown, green and white) found in Maine. The insect is of particular concern to Maine Indian basket makers who rely on brown ash (Fraxinus nigra) to make ash splint and sweetgrass baskets, the oldest documented arts tradition in New England.

For the past eight years, John Daigle, professor in the School of Forest Resources at UMaine, and a team of researchers have been working to mobilize diverse interests — Wabanaki people, basket makers, tribes, state and federal foresters, university researchers, landowners and others — to respond to the ash borer threat. In this talk, Daigle will provide an update on the team’s work and discuss potential next steps.

Daigle is a citizen member of the Penobscot Nation and has worked at UMaine since 1998. He teaches courses with an emphasis on the application of social science concepts and methods to outdoor recreation and natural resource planning and management. Before coming to UMaine, he served with the National Park Service as a park ranger and the U.S. Forest Service as a research forester.

All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free and will be offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall. Registration is required to attend remotely via Zoom; to register and receive connection information, see the event webpage.

Updates for this event will be posted to the event webpage. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196; hallsworth@maine.edu.