Even if you're not a biologist, you've probably noticed some damage to hemlock trees as you've traveled through the mountains of North Georgia.
That's because there's a pesky critter called the woolly adelgid that attacks and kills hemlocks, threatening to wipe out the trees in the forests in our region and other parts of the country.
Wildlife biologist Cassandra Hagemann is one of the organizers of the Hope for the Hemlocks event Thursday night in Dahlonega. The program is the first in the Foothills Science Series, and it is designed to educate local folks about the effort to save the hemlocks, specifically those in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.
In fact, Hagemann said they plan to introduce a predator to attendees that's offering hope for the hemlocks.
"People get to come and meet the beetles and we're going to have some infested hemlock branches there, so we might get to see the beetles in action, munching down on some woolly adelgids," Hagemenn said in a recent interview with AccessWDUN.
Hagemann said saving the hemlock population is vital to the well-being of the forests. She pointed out the species is long-lived in this region and losing the trees would be devastating.
"They provide shade for temperature control in our streams, so it keeps them cool for different species of fish, [they're important] for different bird species and they provide habitat for wildlife," Hagemann said.
Hope for the Hemlocks is a collaborative event hosted by the U.S. Forest Service, the University of North Georgia, the UNG Environmental Leadership Center and the UNG Ecological Protection Lab.
It's scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, August 9 at Shenanigan's Irish Pub in Dahlonega.
Hagemann said the event is not just for scientists.
"It's for everybody - if you enjoy the outdoors, if you love hiking or just the atmosphere of North Georgia, hemlocks are an important part of that, so it's for the novice or the expert," Hagemann said.
Check the U.S. Forest Service-Chattahoochee Oconee Facebook page for more information.
