September 28, 2025 • 30 mins
The Toyota Fill The Truck Food Drive has helped stock the shelves of the Oregon Food Bank at a time when the demand for food is growing. Union Gospel Mission has opened Angela's House. If you have ash trees, here's what you need to know about the emerald ash borer.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford this week. How
the Toyota Fill the Truck Food Drive is helping the
Oregon Food Bank, The Union Gospel Mission in Portland has
opened a new women and children's home, and what you
need to know about the Emerald ash Boar. The twenty
twenty five Toyota Fill the Truck Food Drive had another
(00:24):
successful year. Marissa Gray with the Oregon Food Bank joins
us on Local Voices to tell us about it. Marissa,
how to be Toyota Fill the Truck Food Drive work?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, Brad, we had an amazing year this year. So
the Fill the Truck Food Drive is a collaboration between
Oregon Food Bank, Toyota fred Meyer, and iHeartMedia. So we
have folks from iHeartMedia who volunteer through April, May and
June to give up their weekend through all three months
and they drive all around the state to twenty three
(00:54):
different participating fred Meyers where they will park a Toyota
truck right outside of the fred Meyer and they will
literally fill the truck so shoppers can go inside buy
their own groceries and at the same time they can
buy some groceries that we hope will then be donated
to folks in our community, so.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
They'll come out.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We will fill the bed of the truck with as
much food as we can during that weekend, and then
the truck will drive literally straight from the fred Meyer
over to It's to a pantry location and the food
will be dropped off. So everything stays really local and
within our community, and the food is donated.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Right then and there.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well, it is great how much food was collected and
the Toyota fill the truck food drive.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I'm thrilled to say that we collected over eleven thousand,
six hundred pounds of food.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
How are they you kind of touched on this, but
how are the donations distributed?
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You said they stay local?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
They do.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
So we had twenty three partner locations at fred Meyer
and Toyota, and we paired them with eighteen different partner agencies.
So those are food pantries or meal sites, kind of
church pantries. Those are the places that you go to
actually receive food if you're needing, if you're in need.
So we paired all of those based on location. So
(02:06):
the fred Meyer was the location where everything was collected
and then they drove straight over to our partner agency
where they were met by staff or volunteers depending on
who was available, and then they unloaded the food. They
gave us a weight, and then they were able to
distribute as per usual for that participating agency.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So the Toyota Fill, the truck food drive is really
spread across a wide area. How many miles were driven
collecting food?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yes, it's amazing. Our I heart drivers drove to all
the corners of Oregon and even into Washington, I mean
Klamath Falls, Warrenton, the Dallas. They really went all over
to deliver the food that was really needed. They drove
thirty five hundred miles throughout April, May and June, which
is amazing. And that sounds like a lot and it is,
(02:56):
but I really want to put that in context for
a lot of people as well. That is zero point
seven percent of what our organ Food Bank truck drivers
drive in a year. Last week was truck driver Appreciation Week,
so I just want to give them some special appreciation week.
They drive over six hundred and fifty thousand miles every
year delivering food to all corners of Oregon to make
(03:19):
sure that everybody has what they need. So I love
that this is just an example of what we do
and this just shows exactly how it's done.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Wow, that is great. Got to give the drivers some
props for that.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yes, how many meals will the Toyota Fill the Truck
Food Drive.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Provide together with the fundraising as well as all of
the food that's collected. We calculate it to be around
ten thousand meals and we calculate that through a bunch
of different ways as far as the average pounds of
food that you use for a meal, but also the
average amount that it costs to purchase a meal, So
(03:56):
a lot of things go into it, but we're averaging
about ten thousand meals will be provided.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Through this drive.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Sure, Wow, that is terrific.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Talk to us a little bit about how much of
a problem hunger is in Oregon.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Unfortunately, hunger is on the rise and we're truthfully at
crisis levels for hunger, which is scary. Organ Food Bank
works across the state in southwest Washington, so we have
twenty one regional food banks and twelve hundred partner agencies
(04:29):
and over the past year we've seen two point five
million visits and that's a thirty one percent increase over
the past year.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
To give specific.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Numbers, we say there's one in eight Oregonians and one
in six kids who are going to bed hungry tonight,
just to give you kind of a picture or a
scale of if you look around at work, if you're
in the mall, if you're walking around, the odds that
you see somebody or you know someone who knows someone
who's experiencing hunger is very high right now. And on
(05:01):
top of that, we are seeing, on top of those
record visits that we're seeing, we are experiencing federal cuts
right now, and so we're just anticipating a big increase
to what is already record highs.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
So I hear the term food insecurity, What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, So food insecurity is the way we talk about
if you aren't sure where your next meal is coming from,
and so that could be you might have to make
these impossible choices between should I use this last bit
of my paycheck to put gas in the tank because
I need to get to work because I need that paycheck,
(05:39):
or I need it to put dinner on the table
for my kids, or I have a medical bill that
I'm behind on and I need to get it paid.
And so it's putting these it's putting people in these
impossible situations, and so it's not necessarily a lot of
people experience it in temporary situations, and so hopefully food
banks and food pantries can be this temporary solution for
(06:02):
people in those moments and in those times when they
are most in need.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So you talked about the increasing demand for food. Are
the causes mainly economic? Are the inflation rising unemployment? Do
you get an idea of what's driving that increase.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Unfortunately, it's sort of all of the above. We have
seen such an increase, especially after the pandemic, when we
saw a huge increase of course because of the pandemic
and job losses and those sorts of things. But then
when pandemic safety net programs got rolled back, we saw
that continue to increase. And then as inflation increases, food
(06:40):
gets more expensive. But we haven't seen minimum WEG or
salary increases rise in the same way, and so everything
is getting more expensive, but we aren't able to afford
as much. At the same time, we are seeing at
the federal level different policies rolled back or different safety
nets like SNAP or medicaid, and so we're seeing at
(07:02):
the same time kind of the way the policies are interacting,
and of course even just the broader scale, we see
the things that drive hunger in the first place are
the systems like healthcare, healthcare, housing, you know, those things
that make you choose between those things. Food isn't going
(07:26):
to solve hunger.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
So you mentioned the cuts by the federal government.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Do you know yet at this point how much of
an impact that will have on the Oregon Food Bank.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
It's hard to tell ultimately. As of right now, we've
already experienced over ten million dollars in cuts, and that's
in both funding and food itself. So we had literal
trucks that were supposed to be on the way filled
with food and they were taken back. They were recalled back,
and that was full of amazing things like food and
poultry and things that food drives can't do because they're
(07:59):
pairs that people really need and they deserve and are
nutrient dense. And so we've seen literal food recalled and
taken back through program cancelations in the USDA, and we've
seen federal dollars taken back, and so we've seen a
big cut and I know that the pantries are experiencing
it too. They're seeing the shelves that are more empty
(08:21):
than usual.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Do you need volunteers of the Oregon Food Bank and
what are some of the things they do.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Always we do volunteer shifts six days a week. We
do three shifts every day, and so we have shifts
at our Northeast Portland location as well as our beavers
In location, And a lot of times it's going through
and sorting different food types or bagging different vegetables or foods.
(08:50):
One of the things that's really cool about working as
a food bank is we are able to purchase things
at scale. So when we purchase pallettes and pallettes and
palette of potatoes, we get them at a discounted price,
so maybe it's a little cheaper than you walking into
the store and buying, you know, a pound of potatoes
on your own. But then we get them in huge
(09:10):
palette sized bags of potatoes, So oftentimes volunteers will come
in and put them into family sized bags. That way,
when they go out to the pantries, they're able to
be used in a more effective or accessible way. Sometimes
they're doing can goods and sorting noose. Sometimes it's a
mixed bag and you're kind of just reorganizing. You know,
(09:32):
over here is over here is grains, over here is soups,
and sorting through some stuff that's mixed. Sometimes we have
cans that just need relabeled. It can be a variety
of different things, depending on what the need is.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
For the day.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I know the Oregon Food Bank is always in need
of donations. Do you prefer food donations or monetary donations?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
That's a great question, and I know a lot of
people food and especially now when I say food is down,
and you know we're experiencing this hunger crisis and the
pantries are empty, you would assume that I would say food,
And that's you know, the gut instinct is people are hungry,
we want to bring them food, which is absolutely true.
(10:18):
But dollars are the most effective way to make change
and to deliver food. So at organ Food Bank, like
I mentioned, because we can purchase at scale, we can
purchase significantly more food with that one dollar than you
could if you went into the store and bought that food,
that same food for the same price, and so we
(10:39):
are able to stretch that dollar much further we're able
to work in local economies with local farmers. We're able
to buy exactly what we need at that exact time.
We're also able to fund our other programs like advocacy
and organizing to really target those systems that perpetuate hunger
in the first place. So money and dollars are really
(11:01):
able to go exactly where they're needed, and they're able
to go really far.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
So if you know of someone experiencing hunger, how can
they get help?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's a great question. And like I said, it's very
the odds are very high, and hunger doesn't look like
anything specific you may not know. It doesn't mean that
they don't have a home, it doesn't mean that they're
in raggedy clothes. Food and security looks like a lot
of different things. And so we love sharing the resource
organfoodfinder dot org. And so you can go to this website,
(11:32):
you type in your address or your zip code or
wherever you are, and it will show you the nearest
pantry locations to you and that will give you all
of the resources that you need to get food and
to get access. And it's available in nineteen different languages
right now.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
We use local.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Interpreters to be able to talk through that. So it's
a really great resource if you're looking for support and
food access.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Anything else you'd like to add.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I'd love to share that September is Hunger Action Month,
which is really exciting. So all across the United States,
Hunger Action Month is taking place, and it's this time
where everyone can rally together and take action against hunger.
So I encourage you to visit Organfoodbank dot org slash
Hunger Action Month. It gives you a lot of different
(12:19):
options to volunteer. You can find a pantry to support,
you can make donation, sign up for action alerts, lots
of different ways to get involved. It's up the perfect
time if you're hearing this and you want to get involved,
it's the perfect time to take action.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
And what's your website?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Organfoodbank dot org.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Very easy to remember. Marissa, Thanks for joining us on
Local Voices.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
That is Marissa Gray with the Oregon Food Bank and
details on this year's Toyota Fill the Truck food drive
and how you can help the Oregon Food Bank. The
Union Gospel Mission has open to new women and Children's
Home in Northwest Portland. Matt Stein is executive director, of
Union Gospel Mission and joins us on local voices. Matt
(13:03):
tell us about Angela's House.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, Angela's House is a fifty three thousand square foot
facility with fifty six rooms that we are excited to
welcome women and women with children in the door as
a place that they can be safe, they can be secure,
they can make a decision if they'd like to enter
into program with Union Gospel Mission, and we have two
(13:27):
different tracks they could go. They could go Addiction Recovery
and that would be our Life Change Recovery program, or
they could go our Life Change Transitional Housing where they
could be working during the day but receive a level
of life skills programming at night that they could be
part of. But the whole point of the whole hope
would be come in, be safe, and get established and
(13:49):
then head towards the future that they're hopeful for.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
How many guests can you handle in Angela's House? How
many rooms are there?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah, there's fifty six rooms, can handle just over fifty women.
We'll have a few staff rooms, ra rooms, and then
with children, we cap out about eighty and could even
squeeze up to one hundred if we needed to. Which
we're really excited. Our current facility is fifteen rooms for
women and children, so about thirty total, so we're almost
(14:18):
tripling our capacity.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Wow, our guests selected to stay there, can they ask
us how does that work?
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Yeah? Yeah, there is an entrance registration to begin with
at intake. It's not a shelter setting. I would say
that first two months we call that New Life is
a short term transitional housing, and we just need to
know that we have a woman come in the door
who is safe. We can't have any sexual offenses or
(14:46):
violent offenses, but other than that, we can work with
just about everything as they come in the door and
get settled. But we need to know who's coming the
door because we've got kids in the building.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
So what's the ultimate goal for the women and children
who stay there? Is it to get them into stable
permanent housing.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Absolutely, Yeah, to come to the point where they're able
to sustain on their own house that they feel proud of.
Could be an apartment, could be a variety of housing situations,
but stable and safe housing ideally. Employed. Some aren't able
to do that in just capacity purposes, but many many
(15:24):
can get out there and be working. Ultimately getting their
child in that or consistent schooling setting and a place
where they feel good about the progress they're making in life.
They're encouraged because it's moving forward rather than the roller
coaster that's very common when ladies come in the door.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Sure, tell us more about both of the life change
programs that you mentioned earlier.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah, so recovery we have done for a long time.
We opened our current facility, which is built in nineteen
thirty nine, not related to us, but we moved into
that in twenty thirteen. And you know, life change recovery
really is about, is the ability to stop everything for
a time to focus on not just an addiction problem,
(16:10):
but what's under the surface, what's the trauma, what's the
things in the background that have to be addressed in
order to move forward in life. And what I've seen
so many times I work downtown with the men quite
often I get to be out here with the ladies
a lot. I'm in the new building as we speak,
is the level of shame, the level of not believing
(16:31):
in themselves. I can't do this, I'm going to screw
it up. It's so heavy. When they come in the door,
they're just they're often pretty broken with their looking and
saying I keep screwing up potentially in life. Sometimes certainly
in our ladies' case, they're also very much running from
domestic violence. And so the recovery program is about slowing
(16:53):
down and giving enough space and time with a lot
of holistic resources. So we have counseling, we have mentorship,
we have education or faith based organization, so we have discipleship,
we have work therapy, working on workforce trainability, a lot
of different avenues to begin the process of saying, hey,
(17:15):
you can move forward in this, you can get back
into the things in your past and now with those
starting to be addressed in a healthy manner, now addiction
starts to in some ways take care of itself. It's
not just the using, it's the fact that you've got
to get healing from what is the source of it all?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
So, how long has Angela's House been in the planning
stage and what did it take to bring it to reality?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Oh goodness, yeah, yeah. It was first envisioned by my predecessor,
Bill Russell, Great Gentleman, executive director of UGM. He started
dreaming about it in twenty seventeen, four years after we
had opened our women's life Change building at the current
location and former location, and he just came in one
day said, I can't stand the thought of a list
(18:02):
of ladies waiting, especially ladies with kids, waiting to get
in our doors, and we can't meet that need. And
so he knew early on that we'd need something different,
started to pray about it. They started in twenty eighteen
to fundraise for it, but we didn't break ground till
twenty twenty two, summer of twenty twenty two. It's been
(18:22):
a good journey, but it's been hard at times. The
funding is ninety seven percent privately funded. We have one
grant from the federal government of Federal Home Loan grant.
Other than that, it's been individuals, institutions, foundations, churches that
came together to make this a reality. And the construction
costs is about twenty two million, and so a lot
(18:45):
of people came together in amazing ways and that's one
of the things we're going to celebrate this coming Saturday
with our grand opening. We're looking forward to just saying
thank you to so many people who gave their time,
gave their finances, gave their insights and their expertise to
get us to a beautiful building and it is looking amazing.
It's looking great.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
That's terrific. If people want to make donations, how do
they do that?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Yeah, simple thing. Just go to ugiportland dot org. Ugiportland
dot org. You will see a donate button there. You
can specify towards specifically this campaign we call this the
Welcome Home campaign, or you can donate to our general fund.
We have raised the capital that we need to get
the building open. We will need to increase our operational
(19:30):
giving in order to support as we go forward, but
we knew that would be the case, and we're working
hard towards that.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
So what are your goals for?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
How many women and children you hope to help at
Angela's house over time? And is there anything else you'd
like to tell us about it?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah? Yeah, I think goals wise would be over ten years.
We are hoping certainly decrest over two thousand ladies over
ten years. Because through the year, you'll get people that
will come in for a month or two, we will
connect them to services. We often have the ability to
get them to a different organization or other resources if
(20:06):
they need it. If they want to stay with us,
we'd love to have them, and the total program goes
about fourteen months, two months in new life and then
a year in recovery, a year in transitional housing. That's
the link they be with us. We also have also
after that, we've got an aftercare program which would be
continuing to be alongside them and helping them to think
(20:28):
through their next steps. They can be in housing in
this facility for a time and then we get them
into further UGM housing or into a good option that
we work with them to establish on their own, sometimes
subsidize and affordable housing, other times just a straight apartment
and others. But our goals are to help as many
women as we possibly can. And we're excited to try
(20:50):
this new transitional housing track again, that's the one that
would be work during the day and then the evening
received programming that's newer to UGM. Excited to support them
and watch as they save money for their next and
we're planning to be alongside them in that to help
them with their first and last months as they get established.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
That's terrific.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I would think that that kind of a setup would
help stabilize somebody who is maybe trying to get off
the street and into something that's permanent.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Absolutely. Yeah, I can tell you countless stories. But I've
been here a year and a half and I've watched
so many men and women, and usually it's at a graduation, Brad,
I'll be sitting there when they've gone all the way
through the program they finished, and just the confidence, the
excitement for their future, and also the gratitude they recognize.
(21:41):
Or we have phenomenal residents who get to the end
of program, they recognize how many people came alongside and
were part of their picture to help relaunch and restart life.
So it's very encouraging when you see people believe in themselves,
when they're confident to go out and get that job.
And at this point, all of our men and women
who are in aftercare have jobs in our working and
(22:03):
saving towards that future, which we're really encouraged by.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Matt, Thanks for joining us on Local Voices. That's Matt Stein,
executive director for Union Gospel Mission in Portland, discussing Angela's House,
a new home for women and children that opened earlier
this month in northwest Portland. If you'd like to help,
their website is UGM Portland dot org. The Emerald ash
(22:27):
boar is an insect spreading in Oregon. It's devastating for
ash trees. Most recently it was found in Multlaman County.
Cody Holdhouse works for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He
explains how the insect was found at David Douglas High School.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
They had the opportunity to have an arborist, Peter Vanos,
who is also here from Terragan and Associates, which is
an arborist consulting company. We're able to assess this parking
lot here at David Douglas School District in Portland, and
we're doing an inventory of some of the trees.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
As they were going to date the parking.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Lot, and they noticed that one of the ash trees
that they were looking at had em lash bar potentially
in it.
Speaker 6 (23:07):
There were signs and symptoms.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
They were very concerned and so they reached out to
Orgon Apartment of Forestry, who then reached out to us
at Orgon Apartment of Agriculture. We then received a trap
sample later on and we were able to confirm that
it was an adult inmal lash bar.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
In partnership with.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
The USDA APIs PPQ, who does the official confirmation and
so once we had our entomologists look at the beadle
and make that confirmation, we knew that it was here
in Moltnoma County. As I mentioned before, we've known the
pest to be in Marion, Clacamus, Yamhill, and Washington Counties.
Moltnoma County is a new county in the story here
(23:46):
in Oregon, and so we're going to be working to well.
We already have added Moltnoma County to the quarantine, and
so that means that we're now restricting the movement of
ash that's all fraxinist species olive and white fringe tree
from moving outside of Moltnoma County or other restricted counties
that are within the quarantine. And if you'd like to
(24:07):
know more about the quarantine, you can visit the organ
Apartment of Agriculture's website. We have plenty of materials there
on the actual rule itself, what you can and can't do,
some of the associated fines that are associated with moving
articles of ash all over white fringe out of the county.
And you might be asking, you know, why do we
have a quarantine for a pest like this, especially one
(24:27):
that's so cryptic and can show up in the forest
and jump surveillance lines. And that's because we believe that
by educating people what they can do with their firewood
and other green waste materials, they'll know that they shouldn't
be moving it out of places where we know, and
we'll lash for is. We don't want to inoculate other
parts of Oregon that don't already have the pest. We
(24:49):
want to give those other parts of Oregon as much
time as possible to prepare, and so if we can
limit the movement of green waste and firewood, we strongly,
strongly encourage that, and in fact, again I've created this
quarantine to try and enforce it.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Matt Mills is an expert on the Emerald ash boor
with the Oregon Department of Forest Tree.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
The reason we're concerned about Emerald ashboor is because it's
been spreading across the East coast for over the last
twenty years, killing over one hundred million ash trees in
its wake. It's believed to be the most destructive forest.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Pest in the United States right now.
Speaker 7 (25:21):
As Cody said, we've had a recent detection here in
Moltenolma County, and we want to help people understand their
options and how to help us track the spread of EAB.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
And prevent it from spreading rapidly.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
We have a website called oregoneab dot com. Anybody can
access that site. We have a web map where you
can see the detections we've already discovered and also management
actions you can take now to protect yourself from the
damage of these trees. We also have extensive information on
resources available to homeowners and municipalities and natural area managers
(25:52):
for actions they can take now to limit the devastation
and the financial implications of this pest. And we also
have a guide on how to identify an ash tree
and how to look for the signs and symptoms of
emerald ashboard. So emerald dashboar is a small beetle also
known as EAB or Agrillis plantipelas, that is about a
little over a little under a half an inch long.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
It is emerald green.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
It's quite narrow and thin, and it's it's what it
does is it finds ash trees and it lea likes
its eggs on those ash trees. Those eggs are gonna hatch,
the larvae are gonna burrow into the tree, and those
larvae are gonna start feeding underneath the bark, and what
they do is they feed on the layers of the
tree that transport water and nutrients up and down the tree. Eventually,
(26:37):
so many of these beetles are building up in the tree,
the tree's ability to transport nutrients is blocked and it
starts killing the tree. We believe that about one and
every one thousand trees that is not protected from a
middal ashboar is gonna survive and all the others are
gonna are gonna die unfortunately, So we're gonna be a
massive change in our ecosystems in our urban forest because
(26:58):
of this beetle. First thing people can do an EA
B infestation it's to identify what an ash tree looks like.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
They are a fairly.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
Unique tree, and you can go to oregonea B dot
com and look on our website under identification to find
out what an ash tree looks like. Once you have
identified an ash tree, it's time to look for these
signs and symptoms of emerald ash boar. The first thing
you're going to look for is a dying canopy, either
thinning branches, a lot of yellowing, or completely dead branches.
Next thing you look for are maybe woodpecker damage where
(27:29):
they've been drilling into the bark or flaking off the bark,
to look for the larvae underneath. If you're seeing those
signs and symptoms, there's a good chance you have EA.
B Other things can cause that damage as well. Where
you want to look specifically for our D shaped exit
holes that are about three millimeters or a quarter inch wide.
They're going to be completely flat on one side and
rounded on the other three looks like a capital D.
(27:52):
That's the one of the few things in Oregon that'll
make that shape on an ash tree.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
It's going to be the emerald dash boar.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
So if you see those D shaped exit hole, it's
a really good indication that there's emerald ashbour in that tree.
You can also look for three to eight inch splits
in the bark and underneath that bark, you might see
where the larvae has been chewing away at that nutrient
rich layer and choking off the tree. If you see
that information, we really like you to go to the
Oregon Invasive Species Hotline with pictures of your tree, the
(28:21):
damage you saw, and the location of that tree and
report that to us.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
That will help us track the spread of emerald ashbour
in Oregon.
Speaker 7 (28:29):
A few things you can do to help protect yourself
from the damage to ea B is go to our
website orgoneav dot com and go to the management tab.
We have information on actions you can take now to
protect your trees from EAB. Low quality trees or small trees,
it might be time to remove and replace those trees.
Larger trees that you want to protect and keep healthy.
There are treatments available that will protect those trees from
(28:51):
emerald ashbour. They can be highly successful and relatively safe.
They are a trunk inject pesticide, which means they're directed
are injected directly into the trunk of the tree, so
you're not spraying these pesticides in the atmosphere. These are
these pesticides are taken up by the tree and spread
throughout the tree, and when the larvae are the adults
feet on that tree, they're more likely going.
Speaker 6 (29:13):
To perish because of that, they can be highly effective.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
These treatments are not permanent, though they need to be
repeated every two to three years. One to take those
actions depends on how far you are from an Admirald
ashboor infestation. We have a web map on oregoneab dot
com which has management guidelines based on how close you
are to an infested area.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
That's mad Mills with the Oregon Department of Forest Tree
and details about the emerald ash bore and insect that's
devastating to ashtrees. It was most recently found at David
Douglas High School in Portland. You can learn more at
oregoneab dot com.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
Thanks for listening to Local Voices. I'm Brad Bord.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
You can hear past episodes on the iHeartRadio app under
the podcast tab. Local Voices is a public affairs presentation
from iHeartRadio
Welcome to Local Voices. I'm brad Ford this week. How
the Toyota Fill the Truck Food Drive is helping the
Oregon Food Bank, The Union Gospel Mission in Portland has
opened a new women and children's home, and what you
need to know about the Emerald ash Boar. The twenty
twenty five Toyota Fill the Truck Food Drive had another
(00:24):
successful year. Marissa Gray with the Oregon Food Bank joins
us on Local Voices to tell us about it. Marissa,
how to be Toyota Fill the Truck Food Drive work?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, Brad, we had an amazing year this year. So
the Fill the Truck Food Drive is a collaboration between
Oregon Food Bank, Toyota fred Meyer, and iHeartMedia. So we
have folks from iHeartMedia who volunteer through April, May and
June to give up their weekend through all three months
and they drive all around the state to twenty three
(00:54):
different participating fred Meyers where they will park a Toyota
truck right outside of the fred Meyer and they will
literally fill the truck so shoppers can go inside buy
their own groceries and at the same time they can
buy some groceries that we hope will then be donated
to folks in our community, so.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
They'll come out.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We will fill the bed of the truck with as
much food as we can during that weekend, and then
the truck will drive literally straight from the fred Meyer
over to It's to a pantry location and the food
will be dropped off. So everything stays really local and
within our community, and the food is donated.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Right then and there.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well, it is great how much food was collected and
the Toyota fill the truck food drive.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I'm thrilled to say that we collected over eleven thousand,
six hundred pounds of food.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
How are they you kind of touched on this, but
how are the donations distributed?
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You said they stay local?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
They do.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
So we had twenty three partner locations at fred Meyer
and Toyota, and we paired them with eighteen different partner agencies.
So those are food pantries or meal sites, kind of
church pantries. Those are the places that you go to
actually receive food if you're needing, if you're in need.
So we paired all of those based on location. So
(02:06):
the fred Meyer was the location where everything was collected
and then they drove straight over to our partner agency
where they were met by staff or volunteers depending on
who was available, and then they unloaded the food. They
gave us a weight, and then they were able to
distribute as per usual for that participating agency.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So the Toyota Fill, the truck food drive is really
spread across a wide area. How many miles were driven
collecting food?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yes, it's amazing. Our I heart drivers drove to all
the corners of Oregon and even into Washington, I mean
Klamath Falls, Warrenton, the Dallas. They really went all over
to deliver the food that was really needed. They drove
thirty five hundred miles throughout April, May and June, which
is amazing. And that sounds like a lot and it is,
(02:56):
but I really want to put that in context for
a lot of people as well. That is zero point
seven percent of what our organ Food Bank truck drivers
drive in a year. Last week was truck driver Appreciation Week,
so I just want to give them some special appreciation week.
They drive over six hundred and fifty thousand miles every
year delivering food to all corners of Oregon to make
(03:19):
sure that everybody has what they need. So I love
that this is just an example of what we do
and this just shows exactly how it's done.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Wow, that is great. Got to give the drivers some
props for that.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yes, how many meals will the Toyota Fill the Truck
Food Drive.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Provide together with the fundraising as well as all of
the food that's collected. We calculate it to be around
ten thousand meals and we calculate that through a bunch
of different ways as far as the average pounds of
food that you use for a meal, but also the
average amount that it costs to purchase a meal, So
(03:56):
a lot of things go into it, but we're averaging
about ten thousand meals will be provided.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Through this drive.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Sure, Wow, that is terrific.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Talk to us a little bit about how much of
a problem hunger is in Oregon.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Unfortunately, hunger is on the rise and we're truthfully at
crisis levels for hunger, which is scary. Organ Food Bank
works across the state in southwest Washington, so we have
twenty one regional food banks and twelve hundred partner agencies
(04:29):
and over the past year we've seen two point five
million visits and that's a thirty one percent increase over
the past year.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
To give specific.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Numbers, we say there's one in eight Oregonians and one
in six kids who are going to bed hungry tonight,
just to give you kind of a picture or a
scale of if you look around at work, if you're
in the mall, if you're walking around, the odds that
you see somebody or you know someone who knows someone
who's experiencing hunger is very high right now. And on
(05:01):
top of that, we are seeing, on top of those
record visits that we're seeing, we are experiencing federal cuts
right now, and so we're just anticipating a big increase
to what is already record highs.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
So I hear the term food insecurity, What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, So food insecurity is the way we talk about
if you aren't sure where your next meal is coming from,
and so that could be you might have to make
these impossible choices between should I use this last bit
of my paycheck to put gas in the tank because
I need to get to work because I need that paycheck,
(05:39):
or I need it to put dinner on the table
for my kids, or I have a medical bill that
I'm behind on and I need to get it paid.
And so it's putting these it's putting people in these
impossible situations, and so it's not necessarily a lot of
people experience it in temporary situations, and so hopefully food
banks and food pantries can be this temporary solution for
(06:02):
people in those moments and in those times when they
are most in need.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So you talked about the increasing demand for food. Are
the causes mainly economic? Are the inflation rising unemployment? Do
you get an idea of what's driving that increase.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Unfortunately, it's sort of all of the above. We have
seen such an increase, especially after the pandemic, when we
saw a huge increase of course because of the pandemic
and job losses and those sorts of things. But then
when pandemic safety net programs got rolled back, we saw
that continue to increase. And then as inflation increases, food
(06:40):
gets more expensive. But we haven't seen minimum WEG or
salary increases rise in the same way, and so everything
is getting more expensive, but we aren't able to afford
as much. At the same time, we are seeing at
the federal level different policies rolled back or different safety
nets like SNAP or medicaid, and so we're seeing at
(07:02):
the same time kind of the way the policies are interacting,
and of course even just the broader scale, we see
the things that drive hunger in the first place are
the systems like healthcare, healthcare, housing, you know, those things
that make you choose between those things. Food isn't going
(07:26):
to solve hunger.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
So you mentioned the cuts by the federal government.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Do you know yet at this point how much of
an impact that will have on the Oregon Food Bank.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
It's hard to tell ultimately. As of right now, we've
already experienced over ten million dollars in cuts, and that's
in both funding and food itself. So we had literal
trucks that were supposed to be on the way filled
with food and they were taken back. They were recalled back,
and that was full of amazing things like food and
poultry and things that food drives can't do because they're
(07:59):
pairs that people really need and they deserve and are
nutrient dense. And so we've seen literal food recalled and
taken back through program cancelations in the USDA, and we've
seen federal dollars taken back, and so we've seen a
big cut and I know that the pantries are experiencing
it too. They're seeing the shelves that are more empty
(08:21):
than usual.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Do you need volunteers of the Oregon Food Bank and
what are some of the things they do.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Always we do volunteer shifts six days a week. We
do three shifts every day, and so we have shifts
at our Northeast Portland location as well as our beavers
In location, And a lot of times it's going through
and sorting different food types or bagging different vegetables or foods.
(08:50):
One of the things that's really cool about working as
a food bank is we are able to purchase things
at scale. So when we purchase pallettes and pallettes and
palette of potatoes, we get them at a discounted price,
so maybe it's a little cheaper than you walking into
the store and buying, you know, a pound of potatoes
on your own. But then we get them in huge
(09:10):
palette sized bags of potatoes, So oftentimes volunteers will come
in and put them into family sized bags. That way,
when they go out to the pantries, they're able to
be used in a more effective or accessible way. Sometimes
they're doing can goods and sorting noose. Sometimes it's a
mixed bag and you're kind of just reorganizing. You know,
(09:32):
over here is over here is grains, over here is soups,
and sorting through some stuff that's mixed. Sometimes we have
cans that just need relabeled. It can be a variety
of different things, depending on what the need is.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
For the day.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I know the Oregon Food Bank is always in need
of donations. Do you prefer food donations or monetary donations?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
That's a great question, and I know a lot of
people food and especially now when I say food is down,
and you know we're experiencing this hunger crisis and the
pantries are empty, you would assume that I would say food,
And that's you know, the gut instinct is people are hungry,
we want to bring them food, which is absolutely true.
(10:18):
But dollars are the most effective way to make change
and to deliver food. So at organ Food Bank, like
I mentioned, because we can purchase at scale, we can
purchase significantly more food with that one dollar than you
could if you went into the store and bought that food,
that same food for the same price, and so we
(10:39):
are able to stretch that dollar much further we're able
to work in local economies with local farmers. We're able
to buy exactly what we need at that exact time.
We're also able to fund our other programs like advocacy
and organizing to really target those systems that perpetuate hunger
in the first place. So money and dollars are really
(11:01):
able to go exactly where they're needed, and they're able
to go really far.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
So if you know of someone experiencing hunger, how can
they get help?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's a great question. And like I said, it's very
the odds are very high, and hunger doesn't look like
anything specific you may not know. It doesn't mean that
they don't have a home, it doesn't mean that they're
in raggedy clothes. Food and security looks like a lot
of different things. And so we love sharing the resource
organfoodfinder dot org. And so you can go to this website,
(11:32):
you type in your address or your zip code or
wherever you are, and it will show you the nearest
pantry locations to you and that will give you all
of the resources that you need to get food and
to get access. And it's available in nineteen different languages
right now.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
We use local.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Interpreters to be able to talk through that. So it's
a really great resource if you're looking for support and
food access.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Anything else you'd like to add.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I'd love to share that September is Hunger Action Month,
which is really exciting. So all across the United States,
Hunger Action Month is taking place, and it's this time
where everyone can rally together and take action against hunger.
So I encourage you to visit Organfoodbank dot org slash
Hunger Action Month. It gives you a lot of different
(12:19):
options to volunteer. You can find a pantry to support,
you can make donation, sign up for action alerts, lots
of different ways to get involved. It's up the perfect
time if you're hearing this and you want to get involved,
it's the perfect time to take action.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
And what's your website?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Organfoodbank dot org.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Very easy to remember. Marissa, Thanks for joining us on
Local Voices.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
That is Marissa Gray with the Oregon Food Bank and
details on this year's Toyota Fill the Truck food drive
and how you can help the Oregon Food Bank. The
Union Gospel Mission has open to new women and Children's
Home in Northwest Portland. Matt Stein is executive director, of
Union Gospel Mission and joins us on local voices. Matt
(13:03):
tell us about Angela's House.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, Angela's House is a fifty three thousand square foot
facility with fifty six rooms that we are excited to
welcome women and women with children in the door as
a place that they can be safe, they can be secure,
they can make a decision if they'd like to enter
into program with Union Gospel Mission, and we have two
(13:27):
different tracks they could go. They could go Addiction Recovery
and that would be our Life Change Recovery program, or
they could go our Life Change Transitional Housing where they
could be working during the day but receive a level
of life skills programming at night that they could be
part of. But the whole point of the whole hope
would be come in, be safe, and get established and
(13:49):
then head towards the future that they're hopeful for.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
How many guests can you handle in Angela's House? How
many rooms are there?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah, there's fifty six rooms, can handle just over fifty women.
We'll have a few staff rooms, ra rooms, and then
with children, we cap out about eighty and could even
squeeze up to one hundred if we needed to. Which
we're really excited. Our current facility is fifteen rooms for
women and children, so about thirty total, so we're almost
(14:18):
tripling our capacity.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Wow, our guests selected to stay there, can they ask
us how does that work?
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Yeah? Yeah, there is an entrance registration to begin with
at intake. It's not a shelter setting. I would say
that first two months we call that New Life is
a short term transitional housing, and we just need to
know that we have a woman come in the door
who is safe. We can't have any sexual offenses or
(14:46):
violent offenses, but other than that, we can work with
just about everything as they come in the door and
get settled. But we need to know who's coming the
door because we've got kids in the building.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
So what's the ultimate goal for the women and children
who stay there? Is it to get them into stable
permanent housing.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Absolutely, Yeah, to come to the point where they're able
to sustain on their own house that they feel proud of.
Could be an apartment, could be a variety of housing situations,
but stable and safe housing ideally. Employed. Some aren't able
to do that in just capacity purposes, but many many
(15:24):
can get out there and be working. Ultimately getting their
child in that or consistent schooling setting and a place
where they feel good about the progress they're making in life.
They're encouraged because it's moving forward rather than the roller
coaster that's very common when ladies come in the door.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Sure, tell us more about both of the life change
programs that you mentioned earlier.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah, so recovery we have done for a long time.
We opened our current facility, which is built in nineteen
thirty nine, not related to us, but we moved into
that in twenty thirteen. And you know, life change recovery
really is about, is the ability to stop everything for
a time to focus on not just an addiction problem,
(16:10):
but what's under the surface, what's the trauma, what's the
things in the background that have to be addressed in
order to move forward in life. And what I've seen
so many times I work downtown with the men quite
often I get to be out here with the ladies
a lot. I'm in the new building as we speak,
is the level of shame, the level of not believing
(16:31):
in themselves. I can't do this, I'm going to screw
it up. It's so heavy. When they come in the door,
they're just they're often pretty broken with their looking and
saying I keep screwing up potentially in life. Sometimes certainly
in our ladies' case, they're also very much running from
domestic violence. And so the recovery program is about slowing
(16:53):
down and giving enough space and time with a lot
of holistic resources. So we have counseling, we have mentorship,
we have education or faith based organization, so we have discipleship,
we have work therapy, working on workforce trainability, a lot
of different avenues to begin the process of saying, hey,
(17:15):
you can move forward in this, you can get back
into the things in your past and now with those
starting to be addressed in a healthy manner, now addiction
starts to in some ways take care of itself. It's
not just the using, it's the fact that you've got
to get healing from what is the source of it all?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
So, how long has Angela's House been in the planning
stage and what did it take to bring it to reality?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Oh goodness, yeah, yeah. It was first envisioned by my predecessor,
Bill Russell, Great Gentleman, executive director of UGM. He started
dreaming about it in twenty seventeen, four years after we
had opened our women's life Change building at the current
location and former location, and he just came in one
day said, I can't stand the thought of a list
(18:02):
of ladies waiting, especially ladies with kids, waiting to get
in our doors, and we can't meet that need. And
so he knew early on that we'd need something different,
started to pray about it. They started in twenty eighteen
to fundraise for it, but we didn't break ground till
twenty twenty two, summer of twenty twenty two. It's been
(18:22):
a good journey, but it's been hard at times. The
funding is ninety seven percent privately funded. We have one
grant from the federal government of Federal Home Loan grant.
Other than that, it's been individuals, institutions, foundations, churches that
came together to make this a reality. And the construction
costs is about twenty two million, and so a lot
(18:45):
of people came together in amazing ways and that's one
of the things we're going to celebrate this coming Saturday
with our grand opening. We're looking forward to just saying
thank you to so many people who gave their time,
gave their finances, gave their insights and their expertise to
get us to a beautiful building and it is looking amazing.
It's looking great.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
That's terrific. If people want to make donations, how do
they do that?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Yeah, simple thing. Just go to ugiportland dot org. Ugiportland
dot org. You will see a donate button there. You
can specify towards specifically this campaign we call this the
Welcome Home campaign, or you can donate to our general fund.
We have raised the capital that we need to get
the building open. We will need to increase our operational
(19:30):
giving in order to support as we go forward, but
we knew that would be the case, and we're working
hard towards that.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
So what are your goals for?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
How many women and children you hope to help at
Angela's house over time? And is there anything else you'd
like to tell us about it?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah? Yeah, I think goals wise would be over ten years.
We are hoping certainly decrest over two thousand ladies over
ten years. Because through the year, you'll get people that
will come in for a month or two, we will
connect them to services. We often have the ability to
get them to a different organization or other resources if
(20:06):
they need it. If they want to stay with us,
we'd love to have them, and the total program goes
about fourteen months, two months in new life and then
a year in recovery, a year in transitional housing. That's
the link they be with us. We also have also
after that, we've got an aftercare program which would be
continuing to be alongside them and helping them to think
(20:28):
through their next steps. They can be in housing in
this facility for a time and then we get them
into further UGM housing or into a good option that
we work with them to establish on their own, sometimes
subsidize and affordable housing, other times just a straight apartment
and others. But our goals are to help as many
women as we possibly can. And we're excited to try
(20:50):
this new transitional housing track again, that's the one that
would be work during the day and then the evening
received programming that's newer to UGM. Excited to support them
and watch as they save money for their next and
we're planning to be alongside them in that to help
them with their first and last months as they get established.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
That's terrific.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I would think that that kind of a setup would
help stabilize somebody who is maybe trying to get off
the street and into something that's permanent.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Absolutely. Yeah, I can tell you countless stories. But I've
been here a year and a half and I've watched
so many men and women, and usually it's at a graduation, Brad,
I'll be sitting there when they've gone all the way
through the program they finished, and just the confidence, the
excitement for their future, and also the gratitude they recognize.
(21:41):
Or we have phenomenal residents who get to the end
of program, they recognize how many people came alongside and
were part of their picture to help relaunch and restart life.
So it's very encouraging when you see people believe in themselves,
when they're confident to go out and get that job.
And at this point, all of our men and women
who are in aftercare have jobs in our working and
(22:03):
saving towards that future, which we're really encouraged by.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Matt, Thanks for joining us on Local Voices. That's Matt Stein,
executive director for Union Gospel Mission in Portland, discussing Angela's House,
a new home for women and children that opened earlier
this month in northwest Portland. If you'd like to help,
their website is UGM Portland dot org. The Emerald ash
(22:27):
boar is an insect spreading in Oregon. It's devastating for
ash trees. Most recently it was found in Multlaman County.
Cody Holdhouse works for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He
explains how the insect was found at David Douglas High School.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
They had the opportunity to have an arborist, Peter Vanos,
who is also here from Terragan and Associates, which is
an arborist consulting company. We're able to assess this parking
lot here at David Douglas School District in Portland, and
we're doing an inventory of some of the trees.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
As they were going to date the parking.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Lot, and they noticed that one of the ash trees
that they were looking at had em lash bar potentially
in it.
Speaker 6 (23:07):
There were signs and symptoms.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
They were very concerned and so they reached out to
Orgon Apartment of Forestry, who then reached out to us
at Orgon Apartment of Agriculture. We then received a trap
sample later on and we were able to confirm that
it was an adult inmal lash bar.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
In partnership with.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
The USDA APIs PPQ, who does the official confirmation and
so once we had our entomologists look at the beadle
and make that confirmation, we knew that it was here
in Moltnoma County. As I mentioned before, we've known the
pest to be in Marion, Clacamus, Yamhill, and Washington Counties.
Moltnoma County is a new county in the story here
(23:46):
in Oregon, and so we're going to be working to well.
We already have added Moltnoma County to the quarantine, and
so that means that we're now restricting the movement of
ash that's all fraxinist species olive and white fringe tree
from moving outside of Moltnoma County or other restricted counties
that are within the quarantine. And if you'd like to
(24:07):
know more about the quarantine, you can visit the organ
Apartment of Agriculture's website. We have plenty of materials there
on the actual rule itself, what you can and can't do,
some of the associated fines that are associated with moving
articles of ash all over white fringe out of the county.
And you might be asking, you know, why do we
have a quarantine for a pest like this, especially one
(24:27):
that's so cryptic and can show up in the forest
and jump surveillance lines. And that's because we believe that
by educating people what they can do with their firewood
and other green waste materials, they'll know that they shouldn't
be moving it out of places where we know, and
we'll lash for is. We don't want to inoculate other
parts of Oregon that don't already have the pest. We
(24:49):
want to give those other parts of Oregon as much
time as possible to prepare, and so if we can
limit the movement of green waste and firewood, we strongly,
strongly encourage that, and in fact, again I've created this
quarantine to try and enforce it.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Matt Mills is an expert on the Emerald ash boor
with the Oregon Department of Forest Tree.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
The reason we're concerned about Emerald ashboor is because it's
been spreading across the East coast for over the last
twenty years, killing over one hundred million ash trees in
its wake. It's believed to be the most destructive forest.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Pest in the United States right now.
Speaker 7 (25:21):
As Cody said, we've had a recent detection here in
Moltenolma County, and we want to help people understand their
options and how to help us track the spread of EAB.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
And prevent it from spreading rapidly.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
We have a website called oregoneab dot com. Anybody can
access that site. We have a web map where you
can see the detections we've already discovered and also management
actions you can take now to protect yourself from the
damage of these trees. We also have extensive information on
resources available to homeowners and municipalities and natural area managers
(25:52):
for actions they can take now to limit the devastation
and the financial implications of this pest. And we also
have a guide on how to identify an ash tree
and how to look for the signs and symptoms of
emerald ashboard. So emerald dashboar is a small beetle also
known as EAB or Agrillis plantipelas, that is about a
little over a little under a half an inch long.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
It is emerald green.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
It's quite narrow and thin, and it's it's what it
does is it finds ash trees and it lea likes
its eggs on those ash trees. Those eggs are gonna hatch,
the larvae are gonna burrow into the tree, and those
larvae are gonna start feeding underneath the bark, and what
they do is they feed on the layers of the
tree that transport water and nutrients up and down the tree. Eventually,
(26:37):
so many of these beetles are building up in the tree,
the tree's ability to transport nutrients is blocked and it
starts killing the tree. We believe that about one and
every one thousand trees that is not protected from a
middal ashboar is gonna survive and all the others are
gonna are gonna die unfortunately, So we're gonna be a
massive change in our ecosystems in our urban forest because
(26:58):
of this beetle. First thing people can do an EA
B infestation it's to identify what an ash tree looks like.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
They are a fairly.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
Unique tree, and you can go to oregonea B dot
com and look on our website under identification to find
out what an ash tree looks like. Once you have
identified an ash tree, it's time to look for these
signs and symptoms of emerald ash boar. The first thing
you're going to look for is a dying canopy, either
thinning branches, a lot of yellowing, or completely dead branches.
Next thing you look for are maybe woodpecker damage where
(27:29):
they've been drilling into the bark or flaking off the bark,
to look for the larvae underneath. If you're seeing those
signs and symptoms, there's a good chance you have EA.
B Other things can cause that damage as well. Where
you want to look specifically for our D shaped exit
holes that are about three millimeters or a quarter inch wide.
They're going to be completely flat on one side and
rounded on the other three looks like a capital D.
(27:52):
That's the one of the few things in Oregon that'll
make that shape on an ash tree.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
It's going to be the emerald dash boar.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
So if you see those D shaped exit hole, it's
a really good indication that there's emerald ashbour in that tree.
You can also look for three to eight inch splits
in the bark and underneath that bark, you might see
where the larvae has been chewing away at that nutrient
rich layer and choking off the tree. If you see
that information, we really like you to go to the
Oregon Invasive Species Hotline with pictures of your tree, the
(28:21):
damage you saw, and the location of that tree and
report that to us.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
That will help us track the spread of emerald ashbour
in Oregon.
Speaker 7 (28:29):
A few things you can do to help protect yourself
from the damage to ea B is go to our
website orgoneav dot com and go to the management tab.
We have information on actions you can take now to
protect your trees from EAB. Low quality trees or small trees,
it might be time to remove and replace those trees.
Larger trees that you want to protect and keep healthy.
There are treatments available that will protect those trees from
(28:51):
emerald ashbour. They can be highly successful and relatively safe.
They are a trunk inject pesticide, which means they're directed
are injected directly into the trunk of the tree, so
you're not spraying these pesticides in the atmosphere. These are
these pesticides are taken up by the tree and spread
throughout the tree, and when the larvae are the adults
feet on that tree, they're more likely going.
Speaker 6 (29:13):
To perish because of that, they can be highly effective.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
These treatments are not permanent, though they need to be
repeated every two to three years. One to take those
actions depends on how far you are from an Admirald
ashboor infestation. We have a web map on oregoneab dot
com which has management guidelines based on how close you
are to an infested area.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
That's mad Mills with the Oregon Department of Forest Tree
and details about the emerald ash bore and insect that's
devastating to ashtrees. It was most recently found at David
Douglas High School in Portland. You can learn more at
oregoneab dot com.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
Thanks for listening to Local Voices. I'm Brad Bord.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
You can hear past episodes on the iHeartRadio app under
the podcast tab. Local Voices is a public affairs presentation
from iHeartRadio
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