NOTICE OF EARTH DAY EVENTS INVOLVING THE DACF

April 16, 2014

For more information contact: John Bott at: 207-287-3156

Songo Lock Clean up to be held Sunday, April 20

Sebago Lake State Park is having an Earth Day event, a ?clean up? at the Songo Lock. This event is being held on the weekend to encourage children to attend. Park staff will also give a brief talk on the history of the Songo Lock for participants.

WHAT: ?Songo River Clean Up.? Participants will help clean up historic Songo Lock and the shorelines of the Songo River in celebration of Earth Day.

WHEN: Sunday, April 20, 2014, 10 a.m. ? Noon

WHERE: The Songo Lock at 10 Lock Lane, Naples 04055

DETAILS: Bags and gloves will be provided, as well as water and snacks. Free park admission for participants. For more information, call Sebago Lake State Park at 207-693-6231.

Hunt for the Emerald Ash Borer in Yarmouth, April 22

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry?s Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project is teaming up with the town of Yarmouth to survey that town?s ash street trees in celebration of Earth Day. Participants will learn how to identify ash trees and how to inspect them for signs of the tree-killing beetle, the emerald ash borer.

WHAT: Surveying Yarmouth?s Ash Trees on Earth Day

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 2014, Noon ? 3 p.m.

WHERE: Yarmouth Town Office, 200 Main Street

DETAILS: Deb Hopkins, Yarmouth?s tree warden, says that Yarmouth has 330 ash trees lining its streets. The trees will be tagged in advance, and surveyors will be inspecting the trees for signs of emerald ash borer.

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has been responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of ash trees across the United States, including parts of New England: MA, NH and CT. This small green, metallic woodboring beetle, that spends most of its life cycle as a larva under the bark, is helped along by people who unwittingly transport infested wood from one area to another.

Experience has shown that the best defense a community has against losing their ash trees to EAB is in educating its citizens to learn how to identify ash trees and the signs of an EAB infestation.

For more information, contact Lorraine Taft at 207-832-6241, or lorraine.taft@gmail.com

For more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/