Forest Health Awareness Day will be on June 28 and will feature speakers and demonstrations from 9:15 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.

A joint effort between the Marengo County Soil and Water Conservation District (MCSWCD) and Marengo County Forestry Commission, the three-hour seminar is free to the public and will educate participants about nonnative, invasive plants and insects.

Dan Chappell of the Alabama Forestry Commission and Bayne Moore, Marengo County Forester, will be the speakers for the event.

Moore said that the aim of the event is “to let people know that [invasive species] are coming this way.”

Particular species that will be touched on include the southern pine beetle, cogon grass, emerald ash boar, thousand cankers disease and laurel wilt disease.

“I guess with all of it you could say we’re trying to get the public aware and give them some control options,” Moore said.

In addition to general information about invasive species, participants will learn how to prevent and control them. They will look at cogon grass and see an actual demonstration of how to treat it.

Moore said that seminars like these are important because uncontrolled invasive species can have a devastating effect on more than just the plant life by overtaking native vegetation or killing trees.

“You start losing ash trees, it’s going to be an economic impact,” he said.

Registration begins on June 28 at 8:30 a.m. Participants can also register ahead of time or get more information by calling the MCSWCD at 334-295-8724, ext. 3.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, June 23 issue of the Demopolis Times.)