Burlington--The Watershed Forestry Partnership (WFP) recently released its inaugural episode of Restoration Roundup, a new podcast about restoring and maintaining riparian forests, an important strategy to improve water quality in the Lake Champlain basin.

The monthly podcast will feature the latest research, new and emerging best practices and stories about riparian forests and their restoration in Vermont and the surrounding region. Although geared to foresters and riparian forest restoration practitioners, the podcast will be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about riparian forests.

The first episode features Patrick Engelken, a U.S. Forest Service entomologist in St. Paul, Minnesota, who discusses the emerald ash borer and its impact on riparian forests. Engelken fields questions from hosts Alison Adams and Liz Woodhull on how to identify and monitor this invasive pest and recent research involving ash tree health.

Adams is the watershed forestry coordinator for Lake Champlain Sea Grant and University of Vermont (UVM) Extension. Woodhull is an undergraduate student in UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.

Podcasts will be released the last week of each month and will be available at https://go.uvm.edu/forestpodcast and on many podcast listening apps. 

Upcoming episodes will explore the current shortage of native trees for restoration plantings and possible solutions; the payment for ecosystem services program being developed in Vermont and its value to riparian forest restoration to improve water quality; and the role of riparian forests in supporting pollinator populations.

The WFP is housed within UVM Extension and Lake Champlain Sea Grant. The monthly podcasts are funded wholly or in part by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency under an assistance agreement with NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

To learn more, contact Alison Adams at (802) 391-4135 or alison.adams@uvm.edu.