EMU’s Park Woods is home to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive species of beetle that only targets ash trees. The presence of the EAB and following death of Park Woods’ ash trees allowed for the accelerated growth of Park Woods’ many invasive plant species, including Japanese Honeysuckle, Garlic Mustard, and English Ivy. 

Park Woods, a historical and ever-changing 13 acres of woods on EMU’s campus, is home to the Park Woods cabin and has held a variety of events over the decades, from the Mennonite General Conference’s annual meeting in the early 1900s to weekly gatherings of EMU’s current Earthkeepers club.

Before the EAB, ash trees made up 25% of Park Woods. According to Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science Program Director Jim Yoder, the EAB likely arrived in Park Woods in 2018. Signs of infected trees were noticed in the summer of 2019. Currently, there are few, if any, ash trees found on campus. 

Junior Grace Harder, Environmental Science major and Park Woods resident, stated that one way to identify an infected tree is to look for a sideways “D” –  the EAB leaves the odd shaped hole when burrowing into the bark. 

Senior Environmental Science major Isaac Alderfer explained another way to tell if a tree is in poor health. “The bark looks like it’s starting to get bleached or white and eventually encompasses the whole tree; it’s a sign the tree is too far gone. It’s essentially dead.”

Explaining how the EAB was able to spread so far so quickly, Alderfer said that it is an efficient insect. In addition to being able to fly, EABs can be transported through firewood. He said if larvae are present when a tree is harvested and moved, the EAB can be taken to an entirely new environment. “That’s why campsites are so strict about wanting you to use their firewood; you could bring invasive species with your own wood.”  

Alderfer said that EMU’s Facilities Management has been doing a great job of safely removing the dead ashes from Park Woods and are aware of the problem. 

Facility Planner Phil Martin commented that wood from Park Woods’ dead ash trees will be used in areas of the planned student union. 

In reference to potential solutions to Park Woods’ problem of invasive species, Yoder said the best hope right now is to control the species enough to allow for native species’ flourishing again. It’s unlikely that Park Woods will ever be completely rid of any of its current invasive species. 

There have been past efforts to also control  the invasive plant species. On July 20, 2019, a group of volunteers worked for hours at clearing the invasive underbrush. One of those volunteers, former EMU Professor Ervie Glick, continued to work at clearing the invasive Garlic Mustard for approximately 10 months. Yoder stated that the clearing of that Garlic Mustard saved EMU a lot of time in preserving Park Woods.

In spite of the invasive species, Harder and others are still able to enjoy many of the forest’s other valuable attributes. She stated that in addition to EMU students, Eastern Mennonite School (EMS) students and Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center (VMRC) residents use the forest regularly. The land is used for environmental education, prayer and meditation, and recreation. Harder, a self-proclaimed plant nerd, commented on the native species that reside in Park Woods, saying she looks forward to seeing the Bloodroot flowers in April. 

According to Yoder, future solutions for the Park Woods environment might include bringing in goats to clear much of the underbrush and another work day for clearing set potentially in April. “I still think people will get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment out of being in Park Woods…we’ll do what we can. Maybe things will turn around in a year or two, we’ll either have more resources or there’ll be some more efficient way of controlling [invasive species].”