Zoom Speaker Series: Monitoring Forest Health

Forest pathologist Kelsey McLaughlin will give a talk entitled, “Monitoring Forest Health for the Early Detection of Pest and Pathogen Issues: Local Actions and Statewide Initiatives.”

The presentation will identify various stressors of tree health and how to recognize when a tree is sick. Homeowners often reach out when their tree is severely declining or dead, but there are often symptoms that can be seen years before a tree reaches that point. There are also common sense practices that can be taken to reduce stresses of backyard trees. When it comes to monitoring the health of all of New York’s forests, DEC uses a variety of tools to detect forest health issues. Statewide initiatives to detect pests and pathogens of concern including trapping programs, aerial surveys, and environmental DNA work, and more will be discussed. Finally, forest health issues of concern in Schenectady County will be briefly listed.

Kelsey McLaughlin is a forest pathologist with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Forest Health Research Lab, where she currently works on beech leaf disease, oak wilt, white pine needle damage, and other pathogens reported by the public.