Hemlocks Need Your Help!
North Georgia’s hemlocks are in danger of almost total extinction due to a rapidly spreading infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an invasive insect from Asia with no local natural predator. Hemlock stands are of vital importance to wildlife, water and air quality, local economy, and basic quality of life, and their loss would create problems of enormous scope and dire consequences.
Property owners have the option to save as many of their own hemlocks as they desire, but focused efforts to raise awareness, promote action, and provide assistance have been extremely limited in most north Georgia counties. SAVE GEORGIA'S HEMLOCKS has implemented the Hemlock Help Program -- a statewide initiative of education and charitable service -- to address this urgent need wherever hemlocks are threatened in Georgia. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
To learn more, please attend one of our free Hemlock Help Clinics.
The Stakes
Aesthetically, these beautiful trees contribute greatly to the enjoyment of those who live, work, and play among them, as well as the many people who come to north Georgia for tourism and recreation. What would your special places in the mountains look like without hemlocks?
Environmentally, hemlocks are a keystone species and play a unique role in providing food and habitat for about 120 species of vertebrates and over 90 species of birds, shade for native plants, cool temperatures for trout streams, and protection for watersheds and water quality. How many environmental "dominoes" might fall if the hemlocks fall?
Economically, healthy mature trees such as hemlocks can add as much as 7-10% to homeowners' property values, provide the net cooling effect of 10 room-sized air conditioners running 20 hours a day, perform millions of dollars worth of water purification per mature tree along our waterways, and save billions of dollars a year by filtering CO2 and other pollutants from the air as they produce oxygen for us to breathe. Can we afford to lose these valuable trees?
Some of Georgia's hemlocks have already died due to the woolly adelgid, and almost all the Georgia counties with hemlocks are now infested. Because of our mild climate, the hemlock's decline here in the South is progressing more rapidly than many scientists originally predicted, with infested trees dying in as few as 3 - 6 years. The years 2012 and 2013 may be the "tipping point" in which aggressive action can still make a difference.
Invitation to Help
Please join us. Your participation and support are much needed and very welcome! Click here for a membership form you can print and mail, or you can make your membership contribution via PayPal. We also need and very much appreciate your financial support. Visit How You Can Help to learn how to get involved, make a donation, and find your own special way to help.
Also check out our Facebook page to join the cause and meet other
members!
Contact Information
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Telephone |
Hemlock Help LineSM 706-429-8010 |
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U.S. Mail |
SAVE GEORGIA'S
HEMLOCKS |
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On the Contacts page, you'll find names and contact information for:
n Places to purchase HWA treatment products
n Places to borrow a soil injector for free (just a refundable deposit)
n Link to a list of qualified, licensed hemlock treatment professionals in north Georgia
n Places to purchase hemlock saplings