FARMINGTON – The Farmington Conservation Commission is hosting an Invasive Species Walk at noon on May 20. The event will be held at the Prescott Trails Parking Area on Front Street. Extra parking will be available nearby in the University of Maine Farmington lot.
The FCC holds an Arbor Week event each year as a requirement for the town’s Tree City USA status. This means that Farmington has maintained a set of standards relating to tree care, distinguishing the town as one with clean air and significant tree cover.
2023 is Farmington’s 46th year as a designated Tree City USA, only one of three towns in Maine with this many consecutive years. According to Bill Haslam, the FCC’s Chairman, the other towns have more staff assigned to this project while Farmington relies entirely on volunteers. This program, overseen in Maine by the Maine Forest Service, is organized by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Farmington has earned this title by having a tree care ordinance, a committee to oversee tree care, a certain number of work hours per capita, and an Arbor Week celebration each year in the third week of May.
This year, the designation will be celebrated with an educational event on invasive species, including how to identify and treat them.
“We’re trying to educate about invasives and trying to be a source of information for people,” Haslam said. “We want to help the town with Emerald Ash Borer and other issues.”
The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive beetle that attacks ash trees and is now known to be at least within 30 miles of Farmington, Haslam reported. This is an issue that must be addressed to keep the town’s ash trees—and forests—healthy. The loss of ash trees could have a significant environmental impact with the loss of shade and water retention in parts of town with substantial ash. At the event, there will be discussions about the various methods available to treat invasive species like the Emerald Ash Borer and the ways in which people can help.
FCC volunteers will lead a walk through the trails and teach how to identify the many invasive plants that plague the area. There will also be several demonstrations on invasive species removal and management, including chemical and organic methods and mechanical plant pulling.
Goats will be present to munch on invasive plants, demonstrating yet another way to get rid of these harmful species. According to Haslam, there may even be a few lambs for holding.
The FCC welcomes the public to this walk at 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. The event will last approximately 2 hours and family-friendly snacks and refreshments will be provided for attendees.
