Maine Public cites study in report on invasive emerald ash borer
A 2009 study led by the National Wildlife Federation in collaboration with University of Maine researchers was cited in a Maine Public report on the invasive emerald ash borer. The insect threatens to kill all of Maine’s ash trees and the roots of tribal culture, according to the article. For members of the region’s Wabanaki tribes, the potential loss of black ash is unthinkable as it is not only the origin of fiber for their handwoven baskets but, tradition holds, of the tribes themselves, the article states. Passamaquoddy basket maker Gabriel Frey said hundreds of tribal members know how to make traditional Wabanaki baskets, and about 100 of them now rely on income from the craft. The industry contributes about $150,000 to the tribes’ economies, according to the study.