WTIP hosts outdoor community conversation about spruce budworm
The prevalence of spruce budworm across northeastern Minnesota, particularly in the Superior National Forest, is increasing.
Efforts are ongoing in northeastern Minnesota to monitor, manage, and mitigate the impact of the spruce budworm, a native insect that feeds on the needles of spruce and balsam fir.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins hosted a special outdoor news program on March 21 to learn about the life history of spruce budworm and the ongoing forest management practices and research in northeastern Minnesota. Joining Hawkins is Brian Sturtevant, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, who will provide an in-depth look at spruce budworm.
Sturtevant has over two decades of experience studying spruce budworm. He dedicates his research to exploring the interactions between human land use and management and natural disturbance processes within the Superior National Forest and the Midwest.
WTIP spoke with Brian Sturtevant, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, about spruce budworm. The show aired live on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. Audio below.
To learn more about spruce budworm, Cook County Higher Education and the University of Minnesota Extension are partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the North Shore Forest Collaborative to host a workshop on April 15 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required, but the workshop is free to attend virtually or in person. Register here.
Kalli Hawkins March 21, 2024
