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Lesson Five:  Arrest that Pest!

How to "NABB" your community's attention and raise awareness of "emerald ash borer - the green menace!"

Youth will be able to:

Goal:

By making ash trees visible to the general public, the NABB (Neighbors Against Bad Bugs) program encourages communities and individuals to make good choices about their ash trees before the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) arrives. This can help save money and protect tree canopy. This activity serves as a culmination of what youth have learned.

Purpose of Lesson:

To galvanize volunteer youth groups to combat invasive insects (specifically EAB) that destroy trees in a highly visible and very economical tree tagging awareness campaign.

Educator Preparation:

Materials and Resources

* If the youth group you are working with is old enough to prepare a tree inventory for use in the classroom or to submit to a neighborhood association or city arborist or forester, it will be important for them to measure trees by their "DBH" or "diameter at breast height." This figure can be calculated by measuring the circumference of the tree at 4'-6" and dividing that measure by 3.

Introduction

People in most communities have no idea how many ash trees there are along their streets and in their public parks - they often take the trees for granted and are surprised at the number of ash trees there are and how much they contribute to their quality of life. Hosting a public tree tagging event provides people with a visual symbol of the how many ash trees are at risk to the Emerald Ash Borer in their yards and neighborhoods and the magnitude of the problem.

Development

Youth have learned a lot about the biology of the Emerald Ash Borer, how to identify ash trees, and how EAB infests and kills these trees. The next step is to demonstrate the information they have learned to members of their local community by hosting a tree tagging event!

Exploration

Closure and Assessment:

When the large group reconvenes after the tree tagging event, discuss the number of trees tagged and what youth learned from the event.

Concept Extension: