Blue Ridge Parkway

FRIENDS of the
Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc.

A non-profit, volunteer organization
dedicated to preserving and protecting the
Blue Ridge Parkway, a national treasure.

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Preserving the Hemlocks

Canopy Inspection of Hemlocks Treated in 2006

 FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is helping the National Park Service by funding research to eradicate the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a tiny sucking insect that is decimating hemlock stands from New England to Georgia and South Carolina.

Read Elizabeth Hunter's articles to learn more about this national disaster.

Saving the Hemlocks - Coming Soon to a Hemlock Near You, Sept/Oct 2002 issue of Blue Ridge Country

Parkway Treats Hemlocks, February 2007

VA Tech vs The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, July/August 2007, The Roanoker


 

 National Park Service staff on the Blue Ridge Parkway are treating the hemlocks with adelgid-killing chemicals injected around the trees roots.  The photo to the right shows canopy inspection of hemlocks treated in 2006.  The inspection revealed very few adelgid, so the Park Service hopes these trees will make a dramatic recovery.  Unfortunately, a couple of big trees are beyond saving and are nearly dead.


 

Help Preserve the Hemlocks Today!