A new threat to beech trees, known as “Beech Leaf Disease,” is spreading rapidly across the Northeast, including parts of New York.

Together, the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, the St. Lawrence-Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO-PRISM) and the state Department of Environmental Conservation have partnered to bring attention to the issue with a guided hike on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

DEC Forest Health Specialist Maria MoskaLee will lead the hike, which will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Joseph A. Blake Wildlife Sanctuary in Watertown.

Beech Leaf Disease is infecting and killing beech tree species in the U.S. and Canada. Young beech trees, both native and ornamental, can die in fewer than five years after the first signs of damage appear. Conservationists say there have been recent sightings of the condition in trees in Oswego County and nearby in the Adirondacks.

Participants in the hike can see how to identify and manage this threat and prevent further spread.

Those interested in attending can register online at https://bit.ly/HikeToProtectBeechTrees by 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19.

Prior to attending, hikers are encouraged to download the free iMapInvasives mobile app and create a free iMapInvasives user account. Instructions are found on the event website at www.nyimapinvasives.org. 

For more information on Beech Leaf Disease and how recognize and report it, visit the SLELO PRISM blog: https://www.sleloinvasives.org/protectors-activity-track-beech-leaf-disease/.

The blog is part of the ‘Pledge-to-Protect’ program providing educational materials and simple actions you can take to protect your lands and waters from invasive species. education initiative. 

People are encouraged to sign up for the ‘Pledge-To-Protect’ online at iPledgeToProtect.org. At signup, they can select from five areas of action: Lands & Trails, Gardens, Forests, Waters and Community.

After signup, people will receive information each month via email about a different activity they can take to protect the chosen area or areas of action in which they’ve pledged to protect.