Core Arboretum Newsletter

Number 21 (2016) Zach Fowler, WVU Core Arboretum Director, Editor phone: (304) 293-0387

WVU Department of Biology PO Box 6057, Morgantown, WV 26506 http://arboretum.wvu.edu email: [email protected]

Bridge over the Arboretum? Volunteers Help Keep First Annual Pawpaw Parties The Morgantown Monongalia Metro- Arboretum Beautiful The Arboretum hosted two Pawpaw politan Planning Organization Thanks to the 128+ volunteers who Parties at the end of last September. (MMMPO) is working to determine worked a combined total of over 450 The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the the best location for a new bridge hours for the Arboretum last year! largest fruit native to West Virginia. across the Monongahela River, and These volunteers participated in inva- Pawpaws grow on trees and have a the project may threaten the Arbo- sive species removal efforts, assisted very luscious, tropical flavor and a retum. One of several options being with promotion and events at the smooth, creamy texture. Over 100 considered as part of the I-79 Access Arboretum, cleaned up litter and trash people, in total, attended the Pawpaw Study is extending Patteson Drive past along the trails and river, and helped parties and got to taste and learn about the Coliseum and building a bridge with trail and drainage work. Our pawpaws. We also had literature over the Arboretum, high above the partnership with WVU Center for available about pawpaws and how to river, to connect on the other side near Service and Learning has been a really save and grow the pawpaw seeds that the Monongalia County Ballpark. valuable component of our volunteer were left after trying the fruit. We This bridge would have multiple deva- efforts. hope to make this an annual event, so stating effects on the Arboretum. pay attention next year in late There has already been one public Spring Walks at Arboretum September, if you are interested. meeting and public comment period Mark your calendars for the WVU De- for the project, and the MMMPO re- partment of Biology spring ephemeral Brood V Cicada Emergence ceived over 300 letters against buil- wildflower walks and the Mountaineer Periodical cicadas will emerge by the ding a bridge over the Arboretum! Audubon spring bird walks. These millions in this region late this Spring. These letters included a wonderful free, guided tours are a spring tradition Brood V, as this cohort of cicadas is letter from the administration at at the Arboretum. The wildflower called, includes 3 species of WVU, which strongly supports the walks will happen the last three Sun- Magicicada 17-year periodical Arboretum and opposes any bridge days in April (April 10, 17, 24) at 2 cicadas. Brood V last emerged in project that would impact the Arbo- p.m. The bird walks will be the last 1999, and will be back in late April or retum. Despite the massive response two Tuesdays in April and the first early May 2016. The whole above- against it, the bridge over the Arbo- two Tuesdays in May (April 19, 26 ground event should be mostly retum option is currently still being and May 3, 10) at 7:30 a.m. All tours finished by July. Although the adults considered. The MMMPO will re- will meet in the Arboretum parking do feed a little bit on tree sap, and lease its next report sometime in April, lot. Additional free parking is avail- their egg laying does damage the tips and perhaps this option will be re- able at the nearby Coliseum. No of branches, they do not really harm moved from consideration by then. reservations are needed. Dress appro- mature, healthy trees. They do not However, it is possible that the priately for the weather and for hiking. hurt people at all, other than by being a bit of a nuisance with their noise and MMMPO will recommend building a Emerald Ash Borer in bridge over the Arboretum in its final presence. We are excited for their report in July. There will be another Arboretum emergence here at the Arboretum, and public meeting and public comment The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus we are planning a Magicicada Festival period for the project in May, after the planipennis) is a beetle native to Asia for May 28 to celebrate these next report comes out. The website that kills North American ash trees fascinating organisms! We are still for the I-79 Access Study project is (Fraxinus sp.). The beetle was first finalizing the schedule, but you can http://www.i79accessstudywv.com. detected in the US in 2002, and in WV look forward to discussions about the in 2007. It is now present in the Mor- biology and ecology of periodical Arboretum Online gantown area and has already killed cicadas, presentations of cicada- Our new website is several trees in the Arboretum. related research, fieldwork on species http://arboretum.wvu.edu. We can be Students in the WVU Environmental identification and more, eating cicadas found on Facebook as WVU Core Geosciences capstone class are moni- in various preparations, and perhaps Arboretum, and on Twitter and Insta- toring ash trees in the Arboretum and some music (other than the chorusing gram as wvuarboretum. The new researching questions about the effects cicadas) and art. website makes it easy to give online! of the beetle on our forests.

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