Green Blog

With Californians sheltering in place to stop the spread of new coronavirus COVID-19, the annual citizen science project to map sudden oak death disease has been redesigned to ensure the safety of participants. The first in a series of SOD blitzes of 2020 will be April 11 in Napa.

To control spider mites, many almond farmers have taken to routinely spraying their trees with a miticide in May. However, research by UC Integrated Pest Management advisor Kris Tollerup shows that the pesticide application could cause more harm than good.

Have you given your favorite tree a hug lately? Perhaps you would rather plant a tree? Well, on March 21, International Forest Day, Californians have a good excuse to do both. In the first two decades of this new century, fire is having a transformative effect on California forests.

This is the fourth in a series featuring a few scientists whose work exemplifies UC ANR's public value for California. UC Cooperative Extension entomology advisor David Haviland has been recognized by his peers, his clientele, and extension directors who oversee programs in 14 western U.S. states.

In California, sudden oak death disease has killed more than 50 million of the state's iconic oaks and tanoak trees between Humboldt County and Monterey County, threatening survival of several tree species.