Colorado’s Boulder County is addressing the presence of emerald ash borers (EAB) through its new awareness campaign focused on local bargoers. The county distributed beverage coasters to bars and pubs that give tips on how to prevent the beetle from spreading and what to do about current infestations.
“Watch your ash” is seen on 5,000 coasters in pubs and bars throughout the county. The flip-side of the coaster lists three ways to prevent spreading, how to deal with EAB and who to contact with questions. It suggests to not take hardwood out of the county, to prevent spreading by removing infested trees and to sign up for email updates.
EAB has only been confirmed within Boulder, Colo., but the county implemented this campaign in hopes to slow down the potential spreading.
A non-native beetle, the emerald ash borer has been killing ash trees in 21 states. EAB infests and kills all North American true ash species, including green, white, black and blue ash, as well as their cultivars — including autumn purple ash, a popular white ash varietal in Colorado, according to the county.
The campaign started in March and was distributed to select bars and pubs in Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Superior, Lyons, Gunbarrel and Niwot, with the help of Colorado Master Gardeners at the Boulder County/Colorado State University extension, according to the Daily Camera.
“We all thought it was a great idea,” Brett Stadsvold, the county’s EAB coordinator, told the website. “The goal is to try to reach a lot of the folks who may not be following traditional news outlets.”
Leave A Comment