JAPAN
AROMIA bungii, or the red-necked longhorn
beetle, native to China, Taiwan, the Korean
peninsula and northern Vietnam, is
threatening Japan’s famed cherry blossoms.
The beetles live inside cherry and plum trees, stripping
them of their bark. In serious cases, an infestation can
kill a tree, and experts are sounding the alarm. The
beetle was first spotted in 2012 in central Aichi but has
now spread across the region near Tokyo. In January,
Japan’s Environment Ministry officially designated the
beetle an invasive alien species, meaning its import
and transfer are banned. Larvae should be destroyed
with pesticide and trees with serious infestations are to
be cut down to save others.
GLOBAL LOG
AMY GLASGOW TAKES US ON A TOUR OF THE FORESTRY WORLD
14 MAY 2018 FORESTRYJOURNAL.CO.UK
AUSTRALIA
FRUIT trees are to
be planted along
Adelaide streets in
a bid to help feed
the homeless and improve the
roads’ image. The plan to plant
trees on nature strips was put
before the City of West Torrens
council by Councillor Kym
McKay in late March. He said
Canada, New York City and
parts of the UK were already
planting fruit trees along their
streets and the council area
should follow suit. The plan was
backed by fellow councillors,
who suggested three to four fruit
trees should be planted on one
street as a trial, while the Mayor,
who was ‘sympathetic’ towards
the idea, said arrangements
would have to be made to deal
with unripened fruit.
MALTA
MALTESE English-
language provider
EC English
Language Centres
and Japan’s Kindai High
School celebrated 15 years
of partnership last month
with a special tree-planting
ceremony. Over 700 Japanese
Kindai students have visited
Malta to learn English since
the two educators agreed to
work together in 2003. Qrendi
Local Council organised the
planting ceremony, attended
by the Maltese minister for
the environment, sustainable
development and climate
change, José Herrera. The
initiative, part of EC’s Giving
Back programme, has seen
Kindai students plant 200 trees
over the past five years.CANADA
HORSES are being
used to remove
trees infected by
emerald ash borers
in Mount Royal park to reduce
the impact to surrounding areas.
Two Belgian draft horses have
been pulling infected trees out
of the woods, instead of heavy
equipment being used, in hard-
to-access wetland and marshy
areas. There are more than
10,000 ash trees in the park,
two-thirds of which have been
treated against the invasive bug.
The rest will be axed by March- The plan was announced
in January, to remove the dead
trees and plant 40,000 saplings
in their place. The horses work
alternately every hour and have
a shelter on site where they can
rest, eat and drink water.
FIJI
A reforestation
project funded by
the European Union
and implemented
by the Pacific community has
begun distributing over 21,
trees to farmers in Fiji. The
trees are being distributed to
farmers in the sugarcane belt
on the western side of Viti
Levu. The Reforest Fiji project
is distributing sandalwood, vesi,
citrus and mahogany trees.
Once established, the trees
should protect soil, reduce
erosion, provide habitats for
local animals, support the
increasing use of renewable
energy, reduce the use of fossil
fuels and fight climate change,
as well as help to supplement
farmers’ future income.SOUTH AFRICA
ALLBIRDS, the footwear-
maker of choice among
tech workers in Silicon
Valley, and self-proclaimed
makers of the world’s most
comfortable shoe, are using fibres
from eucalyptus trees to create a ‘light
and breezy’ running shoe. Compared
to traditional materials like cotton,
eucalyptus uses 95% less water and
has helped cut the company’s carbon
footprint. Eucalyptus is an invasive
tree in South Africa, threatening water
supplies and releasing chemicals
which kill native competitors. Working
with the Forest Stewardship Council,
the company are sourcing domestic
eucalyptus which will help protect
native species.