Experts, Basket Makers, and Community Leaders Collaborate on the Future of Black Ash

We thank the organizers at the Ndakina Office of W8banaki for their hospitality and are excited about the ongoing collaboration among Nations and research partners. Until we gather again, we carry forward the lessons, relationships, and shared purpose that continue to guide this work.

The post Highlights from the 2025 Black Ash and Basketry Gathering appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

APCAW recently partnered with Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, Downeast Audubon, Native Gardens of Blue Hill, and Maine Tree Farm to develop an event for landowners, city and town employees, conservation organizations and their volunteers, foresters, and citizen scientists to learn about the status of emerald ash borer and actions that can be taken to protect ash and by extension, Wabanaki cultural traditions. We were joined by master basketmakers Butch Jacobs and Paula Love and their families, who demonstrated their processes for pounding brown ash into splint materials for basketmaking. We also welcomed MFS leader, Allison Kanoti, to demonstrate emerald ash borer monitoring strategies via trap tree peeling, followed by a series of talks from foresters including Logan Johnson, Jack Chappen, and Ben Arruda who explained their approaches to ash management and silviculture. We look forward to continued partnerships with the attendees and with Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust!

Continued resources for learning include: 1. by D’Amato et al. and 2.  .

The post Preserving Ash, Protecting Traditions event in Orland, Maine appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

On July 22nd, APCAW, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and the Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) program of the Ecosystem Research Institute organized a full day of activities to learn about community science data collection projects for ash trees. Our goal was to train participants to feel confident in their ash ID, ash gender classifications, EAB signs and symptoms, and ability to take tree measurements such as diameter at breast height. We also presented on the uses of the data, for ash resilience research, EAB monitoring, seed collection, lingering ash identification, and cultural access. In the morning, we reviewed the Ecosystem Investigative Network’s data collection protocol, and in the afternoon the which support resistance breeding efforts.

If you know of ash near you, and would like to learn more and get involved in these data collection efforts, please email apcaw-group@maine.edu to connect with a member of our team!

The post Action for Ash Day appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

Read the summary of his presentation on page 27 and access the recording.

The post Tyler Everett Presents for Yale on Forest Health Concerns for Tribal Forestry in the Northeast appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

APCAW changing lab name spelling to “Waponahkik” from “Wabanakik”

During the community review process for an emerging mapping project, we heard questions from language speakers, community members, and a Tribal historic preservation officer who asked us why we chose to use the spelling “Wabanakik” to refer to the land of the dawn. We didn’t have a good answer, just that we’d seen it written like that in other places. Two reviewers shared with us that there is no “b” consonant in the written  alphabet or in the  alphabet. Two other informants suggested using the  spelling “Waponahkik,” as it is recorded in the .��

Representation of Wabanaki languages in written form is relatively recent. We recognize there is no one “correct” way to spell land of the dawn in written Wabanaki languages, and there are many different spellings depending on the writing system and language that is being used. We choose to change the word in our lab name to Waponahkik, instead of Wabanakik, in consultation with language keepers. We are grateful to be in conversation with those who can help us grow; If you have any thoughts or more feedback about this word, feel free to be in touch with a member of our lab.

The post APCAW Name Change Notice appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

Tyler Everett and Ella McDonald were featured in a recent article by Laura Sitterly about Native Seed Collection, along with our partner Emily Baisden at Wild Seed Project.

Read the article !

The post APCAW and Wild Seed Project featured in The Times Record appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

As of October 2024, Maine Forest Service recorded new satellite detections in Aroostook County and changed Maine’s EAB quarantine boundaries to now include parts of land stewarded by Mi’kmaq Nation.

For basket makers needing to move a limited number of brown ash logs outside of Maine’s EAB quarantine area, a limited use permit can be issued by the Maine Forest Service on a case-by-case basis following a visual inspection. Please contact michael.parisio@maine.com to request a visual inspection and apply for a limited use permit for transport of regulated ash articles outside of quarantine boundaries.  

The post Maine Forest Service now issuing movement permits for transport of brown ash wood for basketmaking across quarantine boundaries appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

Read the article .

The post Portland Press Herald covers efforts to protect ash trees appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

On October 8th and 9th, 2024, APCAW hosted over 20 speakers and panelists from Tribal Nations, Universities, Federal and State agencies, and nonprofit partners to present to a hybrid audience of over 200 people about hope and challenges surrounding brown ash protection. While the first day focused on the scientific predictions of the impact of EAB and approaches to manage ash, the second day featured Wabanaki basketmakers and Tribal Nation staff perspectives on sustaining ash. You can access the full agenda here. People from around the Northeast and beyond tuned in to our meeting, which culminated in a community dinner on Indian Island featuring brown ash log pounding, seed collection demonstrations, and trap tree demonstrations.

If you were unable to participate, we recorded the sessions and they now live on our YouTube channel.

Recordings – The recordings of each presentation, except for the Tribal Community Perspectives Panel, are available through this Future of Brown Ash .

Powerpoint presentations – Unfortunately, the recorded video of our conference did not capture the speakers’ powerpoints. You can access PDFs of speakers’ powerpoint presentations  and follow along with their slides while watching the recordings.

Posters – You can access a digital copy of most of the Future of Brown Ash posters .

The post APCAW Hosts Future of Brown Ash Conference at 91���� appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.

Read about Maine Audubon’s efforts to release biocontrol, inject healthy trees, and collect seed to sustain the white ash trees in their property in Falmouth, ME: https://maineaudubon.org/news/putting-gilsland-farm-to-work-in-the-effort-to-preserve-maine-ash-trees/

The post Maine Audubon’s efforts to manage EAB at Gilsand Farm appeared first on Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik.