Community Grant Working to Save Trees

Written by Shannon Wehinger on March 21, 2025. Posted in Conservation District Project Spotlight

Photo provided by SCCD.

Submitted by Elysia Axworthy, Communications Coordinator, Susquehanna County Conservation District

On Friday, February 28, 2025, the Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) awarded $5,000 in grant funding to the Friends of Salt Springs Park (FSSP) through its Growing a Greener Community Grant program. The funds will support FSSP’s 2025 Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Project to protect the park’s hemlock trees from the invasive HWA pest.

The project will utilize Sasajiscymnus tsugae (ST beetles) as a biological control method to help stabilize or reduce the HWA population in and around Salt Springs Park’s old-growth forest. These beetles feed exclusively on HWA, moving from tree to tree as they consume the pest. This environmentally-friendly approach offers a sustainable solution to combat HWA infestations.

A public ST beetle release event will be scheduled at Salt Springs Park, providing an opportunity for community members to witness conservation efforts firsthand. FSSP will announce details in the coming weeks.

For more information, please contact the Susquehanna County Conservation District or Friends of Salt Springs Park.