Ashes to Ashes

Ash trees are an eastern American treasure providing significant natural, scenic, and cultural resources, but they could soon be lost forever because of an invasive insect called the Emerald Ash Borer that has destroyed roughly ninety percent of the population over the past decade. For this project I will use documentary video, interviewing people who cherish this plant such as Travis Gabriel, a Lacrosse stick maker, who says, “Everybody’s using plastic and aluminum, that’s good for keeping the game going, but keeping the culture alive you need the wood, that’s where the tradition is. That’s where the medicine of the game is. It’s in the wood.” Their stories will help to raise awareness on the importance of the ash tree not only for its significance to the ecosystem but also as a keystone to the people and its power to shape culture and tradition.

The Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive beetle from Asia, was first identified in New York State in 2009. Since its arrival it has killed a majority of the state’s mature Ash trees. According to NYSDEC, Ash makes up approximately 8 percent of all the trees in New York. Their absence from the landscape would be a considerable loss. Once a tree becomes infested with these beetles it has a 99 percent mortality rate and will only live for about 2-4 years.