This article was written and provided by NYSTIA Member Megan Pistolese-Shaw, Education Outreach Coordinator at SLELO PRISM.
Picture yourself stepping into a quiet winter forest. Snow softens every sound, settling gently on the branches of towering evergreens. The air is crisp, the world still. Among the trees, eastern hemlocks stand out dark, graceful, and steady, their evergreen needles offering life and color when everything else sleeps. They line the ravines, cluster along icy streams, and form the quiet backbone of the winter woods.
Now imagine this same forest without hemlock trees.
Hemlocks are more than iconic evergreens—they’re foundational and keystone species that shape entire forest ecosystems. They provide shade for streams, keeping them cool for trout; they offer food and shelter for wildlife, stabilize steep slopes, filter water, and store impressive amounts of carbon. In many places, hemlocks are the forest, but an invasive insect is threatening their survival.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is putting these trees at risk. This tiny sap- feeding pest drains hemlocks of nutrients, leading to thinning canopies, dying buds, and eventually tree death. As hemlocks disappear, cool, moist forests shift into hotter, drier landscapes where wildlife struggle, lose food and shelter, and invasive plants can quickly move in.
HWA has been in New York since the 1980s, with major infestations downstate and in the Finger Lakes. While the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario region currently has fewer infestations—mainly in Oswego County near Eastern Lake Ontario and Oneida Lake—the threat is growing. Hemlock-rich forests in the Tug Hill Plateau and Adirondacks could be next.
Protecting our winter forests starts with early detection, quick reporting, and community action.
How can you help?
Protecting hemlocks starts with you.
Detecting new HWA populations early is one of the most powerful tools we have. By learning to recognize and report HWA using NYiMapInvasives, New York’s official invasive species database, you can directly contribute to saving our forests. Their free mobile app makes reporting quick and simple.
This winter, you’re invited to join the HWA Learning Series—a hands-on training program running from January through March 2026. You’ll learn how to identify HWA, use the iMapInvasives app, and conduct meaningful surveys in the field.
Your participation matters. Every report helps scientists and land managers respond faster, protect more trees, and preserve the forests we love.
Join the HWA Learning Series
Lace up your boots, breathe in that winter air, and hike with a purpose!
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About the Pledge:
The Pledge to Protect was developed by the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO PRISM). It is a resource intended to inform and inspire you to protect your lands and waters from the impacts of invasive species. Upon taking the Pledge, you become a “Protector” and are sent monthly email blogs that provide simple actions you can take to protect your favorite outdoor spaces from invasive species and chances to win prizes by taking the suggested actions.
Take the Pledge to Protect today!
About SLELO PRISM:
SLELO PRISM (St. Lawrence–Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) is part of New York State’s collaborative PRISM network, which works to prevent, detect, and manage invasive species to protect native habitats, biodiversity, and freshwater resources. Hosted by The Nature Conservancy, SLELO focuses its efforts in Oneida, Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
The statewide PRISM network is funded by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund and coordinated by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and partners. Its mission is to provide a unified, statewide approach to invasive species management by coordinating local partners, training volunteers, conducting outreach, and implementing control and restoration efforts across eight regions.
Learn more about SLELO PRISM at www.sleloinvasives.org.
Learn more about the New York State Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management here.