A big thanks to Kenny Frick and Rusty Rhea with Forest Health Protection for bringing the big saw!
Did you see all that light come through the forest canopy?
Based on what we know from anectodal evidence in the field and research done in a nursery setting we can say that hemlocks in full sun tend to be healthier and have lower levels of adelgid infestation. So, we are bringing that hypothesis to the big woods and trying out a new experiment. This study has been on paper for quite a while and we have been scouting sites for the better part of a year.
Basically, we are selecting relatively healthy hemlock trees of a certain size and "releasing" them to a full-sun environment. Our experiment will test 2 different techniques along with other variables to see if increased exposure to light can help these trees stand up to HWA infestation.
More details with better quality video and photos are coming!
