Presentation of Research

Will a tree that currently lines thousands of boulevards in the United States become extinct in the near future? Minnesota’s green ash (fraxinus Pennslyvanica), white ash, (fraxinus americana), and the black ash (fraxinus nigra) face a dire future because of an invasive species new to the United States (O’Brian and Suszkiw 2011, 18; Wang et al. 2011, 1). The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) Fairmaire (EAB), a green beetle about the size of a nickel, has yet to be stopped since its uninvited entrance on shipping material in Detroit, Michigan in 2002 (O’Brien and Suszkiw 2011, 18-19; Dunbar 2011).

While all states have much to lose to the spread of EAB, Maine and Minnesota have the largest population of ash trees within their respective borders (MNDNR 2007). To slow the spread of the pest, many Minnesotan government agencies joined together to create an EAB task force (USDA 2008; MNDNR 2007). By the time EAB made it across the Mississippi river and into Minnesota (Schuldt 2010), several other states struggled to deal with the situation. Although all eastern and midwestern states will lose trees and money in this battle (Kovacs et al. 2010, 575; H.R. 3901), some suggest that Minnesotans maintain a stronger emotional connection with their landscape, especially their trees (Atkins 2007, 1-9). As a result, they may be more willing to engage with government agencies to protect the larger ash canopy in the state.

But many questions remain. My main question is this: How can agencies and communities effectively communicate about environmental risks? And to what extent are communities involved in the engagement process? Also, what pitfalls prevent agencies from reaching or engaging with their audiences?  To better understand the public level of environmental stewardship and awareness of invasive species (and resulting pesticide treatments), I am studying rural agency-community relationships in environments susceptible to invasive species. In doing so, I hope to find information applicable to other states as they work to effectively engage community participation in invasive species quarantine and eradication. 

Please view the video below to get a glimpse into some of my research on this subject.