The ash is one of North America’s most important trees: a foundation of environments, ecosystems, economies and cultures with millions of years of evolutionary history on this continent. But all 16 known ash species native to the United States are now threatened by an invasive insect known as the emerald ash borer. While trees throughout much of the eastern U.S. have been killed, there are still large, intact ash-dominated forests in places like the eastern shore of Maryland and northern Minnesota. And many species of ash tree, mainly in the Western U.S., have yet to be reached by the ash borer, but are likely to be vulnerable to it too.
For three years, photographer Leslie Brice and I have documented ash-dominated wetland forests in Maryland. Some have already been devastated by emerald ash borer, and others are still intact. We are developing a photo exhibition highlighting the beauty and importance of these little-known ecosystems. Our first showing will be at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, Maryland from October 30, 2022 to January 8, 2023. From 4 to 6 pm on Sunday, November 6, we will host a reception where we will speak about our work. The exhibition and recent are free and open to the public.
Please visit the Ash Forest Project website to learn more about our work and how you can support it.
Photos by Leslie Brice
