Protecting local NJ Ecology

Tree of Heaven Ailanthus altissima and the Spotted Lantern fly Lycorma delicatula

Tree of Heaven is one of the host plants of the spotted lantern fly. Both are invasive species and are threatening to the local ecology of New Jersey. Here you can see an infestation of the nymphs of the spotted lantern fly.

Photograph taken in 2023, infestation of spotted lantern fly aphids on tree of heaven.

Photography: Tree of Heaven sprouted intertwined in the grasses near fence. Tree feeds through the wiring and has shoots imbedded in grass, so very difficult to remove. Infested with lantern fly nymphs.

Photography: Tree of Heaven in abandoned property in NYC. Taken while studying at Pratt Pre-College in Fall of 2023.

Continuing education course through Rutgers NJ Agricultural experiment station taught me the basics of plant identification, which was important for the study of how to identify the Tree of Heaven

Study of spotted lantern fly nymphs on the tree of heaven. Both invasive and destructive to the local ecology of NJ. Fall 2024

Relevant coursework: Cornell University Botanical Illustration, Private instruction from iArt Institute in NYC.

SPOTTED LANTERN FLY

Learn to identify patterns of egg masses of Spotted Lantern fly unprotected by egg casing. Relevant coursework: RISD Patterns and illustrations.

You can reduce the amount of infestation caused by the spotted lantern fly by properly identifying the egg masses before they hatch. The egg masses are about 1.5 inches in length, but difficult to identify. The images show the egg masses when they are covered and uncovered. To make it easier to identify the egg masses, I redesigned the egg crush card so that gardeners can notice the patterns and shape of the egg masses. This observation came from my experience in studying patterns nature at a summer Pre-College course I took at Rhode Island School of Design.

Preliminary sketches of Egg Crush cards. Idea is to identify the patterns and shapes of the egg masses, using concept of looking at patterns in nature. Relevant coursework: RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) Illustrations and Patterns.

Initial Prototype in the design process: Front of the card will have image, however not a photograph, but a drawn image. The arrow on the card, gives an approximation of the length of the egg mass. The image can also be printed on a hard clear plastic business card, with nothing on the back so that gardener, can see through the card and match the pattern of the egg masses to the drawing.

Obstacles in the design process: I wanted to include the development stages on the back of the card, but you could not print both images on clear plastic.

Solution: Because gardeners will be crushing the egg masses with the plastic card, instead of the hatched lantern fly. It made more sense to design a separate flyer to go with the card showing the different development stages of the spotted lanternfly.

Tracking the Return of the Short Eared Owl to New Jersey

Image: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl

The Short Eared Owl has returned to New Jersey and has was spotted in the local park system of Monmouth County. This species of owl for conservation is classified as “common birds in steep decline.” I am part of a volunteer team that goes out at dusk to see if these birds are spotted in pairs at dusk. It is important for us to spot these owls in pairs to determine if they have returned to this location for breeding. New Jersey is home to eight species of owl: Great horned, snowy owl, barred, barn owl, Eastern screen-owl, long-eared, short-eared and Northern saw-whet. Migratory owls, when spotted coming through open grassy fields such as in Dorbrook Park in Monmouth County, should be identified and tracked to see if they are returning to the same location in their migratory patterns for breeding. From October through November, New Jersey conservationists get together to gather data on the populations of owls as they migrate. One of these locations of gathering data is coordinated through the Monmouth County Park System, in Dorbrook Park in Monmouth County, NJ. The state of New Jersey has limited regulations protecting publicly-owned forests. Access to grasslands and open fields (such as Dorbrook Park) provide a good environment for owl spotting.

source: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl/