– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
Protect nature . . . eliminate SLF!
The desk where I write today’s article is my hand as I sit next to a statue of Theodore Roosevelt at the Roosevelt Island Park surrounded by the Potomac River. The place in this memorial that drew me in to type in the shade was the stone wall dedicated to “Nature”. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt it reads:
“There is delight in the hardy life of the open. There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm. The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased; and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection.”
Protecting the assets of nature is a concept that would likely look different to each individual based on their values and ideals. They may range from grandiose to practical everyday actions. I encourage each person reading to pencil out what are their most valued assets provided by our local natural environment and what development and protection mean.
The most practical example I have experienced this week is the stomping of spotted lanternfly adults on the sidewalks, walls, and railings of Washington D.C.
The spotted lanternfly is a concerning invasive species that is spreading rapidly across country and could have devastating impacts to native plant populations, especially in forested ecosystems and specially crop systems.
In D.C. the population is startling and the lanternfly activity can be tracked on doppler weather radar. It was here that I encountered my first spotted lanternfly in the “wild”, perched on the edge of a trashcan outside the metro station. I gasped, photographed it, then smashed it. Then proceeded to continue the work of stomping, smacking, and smashing any lanternfly I encountered.
The scary truth is that these insects are likely already in our Noble County ecosystems, but have yet to be confirmed. Citizens should continue to remain vigilant for their detection, documentation, and destruction. If you spot it, document it, report it, and kill it. Awareness and action will help conserve the mystery and charm of our wild spaces.
To learn more about spotted lanternfly, visit: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/invasive-species/spotted-lanternfly
To learn more about Roosevelt Island Park- America’s least visited National Park, visit: https://nps.org