Burlington County continues to battle against the spotted lanternfly invasion and is seeking volunteers to help destroy the egg masses this winter.
The Burlington County Parks System is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to hold five upcoming volunteer egg-scraping sessions at various parks in the county.
The goal is to try to control damage from the spotted lanternfly, which is an invasive insect from Asia that likes to feast on fruit trees, ornamental trees, woody trees, vegetables, herbs, grapes and vines.
“Burlington County is renown for our scenic parks, forests and farms. We all need to work together to protect these precious resources from invasive species like the spotted lanternfly,” Burlington County Commissioner and the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation Allison Eckel said in a news release. “Last year, volunteers helped us destroy more than 500 spotted lanternfly egg masses in our parks. That prevented more than 25,000 of the bugs from hatching and threatening trees and plants, so these volunteer scraping sessions do make a difference.”
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During scraping sessions, volunteers will learn how to identify and destroy the eggs and then utilize those skills to seek out hidden egg masses in the park.
The upcoming volunteer scraping sessions will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the following locations:
- Jan. 10 at the Burlington County Agricultural Center located at 500 Centerton Road, Moorestown
- Jan. 27 at Amico Island Park located at 81 Norman Avenue, Delran
- Feb. 9 at Amico Island Park located at 81 Norman Avenue, Delran
- Feb. 17 at Pennington Park located at 801 Creek Road, Delanco
- Feb. 28 at Pennington Park located at 801 Creek Road, Delanco
“Scraping is a great volunteer activity for individuals, families or groups looking to protect our environment,” Eckel said. “We’re encouraging as many residents as possible to register to volunteer and help control this invasive pest both in our parks and beyond.”
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If you would like to help "beat back the bugs" you can register here.
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