Meetings, and beetles

Wednesday was work day,
It was an unusually long work day, but not completely in a bad way. Most of the day was spent, tidying up the yard before the MELNA meeting. MELNA is Maine Landscape, Nursery Association. The members started showing up around 4, and it really started to get under way around 5:30. The grills were going, people were talking, and touring the place. My day ended at 6 which is normal, but the get together kept going till 7, and a bit after. I got to talk with some people in the industry, and with some people I haven't seen in a while. All really down to earth people, which is what I have loved about the industry, people who are seriously working in the industry are pretty down to earth. This meeting convinced me more that I want to join. It's also a great way to stay updated. Especially on the hottest topic lately, the Asian longhorned beetle.
Asian longhorned beetle is an invasive species, so it is not native, and has no natural predators in the United States. This beetle has devastated Worcester, Mass. How? The Asian longhorned beetle LOVES to eat hardwoods. The native trees of New England are hardwoods, and there was a bad infestation in Worcester. They had to cut down all the hardwood trees in the town, which left them with not a whole lot, if anything. They have been replanting, but it is going to take time, for those little trees to get tall. Maine is on really high alert, because the beetle can easily travel through stuff like camp wood. People come from out of state, bring their own wood to burn for camp fires, and they may also be bringing a devastating pest with them. So please don't bring your own camp wood, buy local. Which trees are hardwood trees?
Hardwood Trees:
Maples
Oaks
Ash
Aspen
Beech
Basswood
Birch
Cherry
Elm
Hickory
Locust
Sycamore
Walnut
There are a few more, but these are some of the more common ones, and Asian longhorned beetles, will devastate quickly. I hope I didn't bore you, I just feel it's important to get this information out.
Now I feel like I made a bit of a downer post. Sorry.
I have to get to work,
Have a great day!

Tab