Burlington County continues to battle the spottled lanternfly invasion and is seeking volunteers to help beat back the bugs this winter while they are at their most vulnerable life stage.
The Burlington County Parks System is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to hold three upcoming volunteer egg scraping sessions at various county parks. The events are part of the county’s strategy to try to control damages from the spotted lanternfly, an invasive, non-native insect from Asia with an appetite for fruit trees, ornamental trees, woody trees, vegetables, herbs, grapes and vines.
During the sessions, volunteers will learn from a U.S. Department of Agriculture specialist how to easily identify and destroy the eggs of this pesky invasive species and why the bugs are considered such a threat to native trees and plants. Afterwards, volunteers will receive scraping tools to hunt and destroy hidden egg masses in the park.
“Burlington County is renown across New Jersey and beyond for our scenic parks, forests and farms. We all need to work together to protect these precious resources from the spotted lanternfly invasion,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “These volunteer scraping sessions are a great opportunity for adults and children to help guard our parks, plus the skills they learn can help them find and destroy egg masses in their own backyards and local communities.”
The upcoming volunteer scraping sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Jan. 18 at Amico Island Park in Delran. Register at: https://secure.rec1.com/NJ/burlington-county-nj-/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTIyOTY3MDE=
Feb. 1 at Boundary Creek Park in Moorestown. Register at: https://secure.rec1.com/NJ/burlington-county-nj-/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTIyOTcyOTY=
Feb. 15 at the Burlington County Agricultural Center in Moorestown. Register at: https://secure.rec1.com/NJ/burlington-county-nj-/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTIyOTcyOTg=
Rain dates for the sessions are Jan. 25 and Feb. 22.
Residents interested in volunteering are encouraged to register with the Burlington County Parks System before each session to ensure there are an adequate number of scraping tools available.
