HAWLEY — Attendees can learn about the beauty of beech trees and the challenges they face during a free tree tour at the Cox family’s Tavern Top Trust Tree Farm on South Road on Saturday, Aug. 23.

The tour is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Gregory Cox of the Massachusetts Tree Farm Program will lead participants on a tour of the 90-acre woodlands, which his family has stewarded since the 1920s, while showcasing beech trees, discussing the impacts of beech leaf disease and detailing recent research on methods to control it.

“A lot of woods in western Mass. have substantial amounts of beech trees,” Cox said in a statement. “We used to have the problem of having too many beech trees; now we’re concerned we could have too few.”

The trunk of an American beech tree on Crescent Street in Greenfield. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Cox said American beech trees are an important species in the northern hardwood
woodlands that make up most of the forests in western Massachusetts. In recent years, the species has been ravaged by an invasive nematode, Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mcannii, which causes infestations called beech leaf disease.

The damage causes parts of the leaves to be blackened and shriveled, preventing photosynthesis. If severe enough, the infection will weaken and eventually kill the tree.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the disease was first identified in Ohio in 2012. It was first detected in Massachusetts in 2020 and has since spread to every Massachusetts county and nearly every city and town.

A map showcasing where beech lead disease as been detected and how widespread the disease is.
A map of areas where beech leaf disease has been detected. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Forest Health Program.

During the tour, Cox will discuss the impact of the disease on Massachusetts forests and the wildlife that call them home. He said federal studies have found that beech trees make up 10% of Massachusetts forests and their beech nuts are an important food source for wildlife. Cox will also share information on what researchers are discovering about the disease and the latest available treatment methods.

Attendees should plan to meet at the junction of South and Plainfield roads at 9 a.m. Cox recommends attendees wear long pants and use insect repellent. The tour will be postponed and rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.

For more information, visit massforestalliance.net.

Madison Schofield is the West County beat reporter. She graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in journalism. She can be reached at 413-930-4579...