The GW Search engine did not send me to the numerous postings some of us have written in years past. Too bad as lots of interesting gypsy moth data is lost. This question has come from Western New York where I suspect residents are being updated. My suggestion would be to contact Cornell U. for the latest reports on the fungus Entomophage maimaiga which is being tested in the upper mid-west with success over the past few years. Further suggest that this contact be made through the Geneva Experiment Station in Geneva, NY (a division of Cornell) as I have found the staff there helpful directing me to the best sources. As to the question of what the average homeowner can do to protect trees.....etc. Two thoughts: 1. The old method of using burlap and Tanglefoot (easily ordered on line if not available in your stores does help in the early stages of the infestation. You want the thick, gooey type, not the spray-on variety of Tanglefoot. I prefer to use several widths of blue painter's tape side by side rather than burlap. It is easy to apply and coat using a tongue depressor with Tanglefoot, easy to remove and replace when needed with no harm to tree bark. 2. The gypsy moth battle involves everyone in town. The first step is to have an expert appear on the local news and write articles teaching how to identify the tan/yellow egg cases that the female moth lays at the base of trees and underneath everything such as woodpiles, kids swing seats, porch overhangs, etc. usually within a height of 3-4 feet from the ground. Every homeowner should be watching for these egg cases and should receive instructions on how to remove and destroy them. Egg cases are scraped off with a putty knife into a container and then the spot where the case is removed is painted with a bit of winter strength dormant oil. This is an old time method and if a suburban community will turn out in late summer/fall seeking and destroying the egg cases, each in his own neighborhood, it really makes a difference. A good Scout project. A great family project. Well worth the effort to coordinate.

Fantastic list of seeds! I think it is just great that you have focused your life on nature at such a young age. I too would love to have 10 (maybe 5) acres someday to plant a wonderland of natives plants, and am already doing that on 1.25 acres. Difference is, my interest didn't come into sharp focus until age 45. :) There are quite a few seeds on this list I am interested in, and I checked your want list and I have a few on that list. Maybe we can do a trade this fall? Just a note - on your want list is Cynanchum louiseae - this is an extremely invasive non-native vine that is becoming a serious problem in the Northeast US. And it has the additional problem that Monarch butterflies will "sense" it is in the Milkweed family, lay eggs on it, and then it will kill the caterpillars because it is toxic to Monarch larvae.

Everything Dawn said is absolutely correct. Parts of it are toxic, and it can cause a skin rash, actually more similar to a sunburn. It is supposed to be attractive to butterflies, but also can get out of control. I probably should take it off the list. I think it is also toxic to cattle as well. Parts of it are edible, but I understand it is not as palatable as the parsnip grown for eating. The roots on the Cow Parsnip are supposedly rather thin and stringy. It is in the apiaceae family like carrots, parsley, Queen Anne's Lace, and the deadly Hemlock. I wouldn't advise growing it if you have small children or cattle. It really would work better in a large meadow environment. But, it can get out of hand. Now that I think about it, this may be why I never grew it. I have Queen Anne's Lace and it is pretty invasive in my opinion, plus the drying seeds tend to stick to everything. I thought that the Black Swallowtails would like it but they don't go near it. I fear that Cow Parsnip would be the same. They much prefer the fennel and the Rue. Carol, I got the seeds today! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope I get some really good tomatoes this year! Susan

I do think that libraries should cater to a wide variety of tastes. The problem comes with one person deciding what the other people should read.Exactly -- one person, or the committees (boards) that are interested only in the bottom line. The problem is many public libraries in the US are catering to very narrow taste, and I think that's what most of us are really complaining about. Now, whether this is because the preponderance of the clientele only want certain types of books, or the space and budget restraints are inhibiting the purchase of a broad collection...I'm not sure, but I suspect it's both. It's very disheartening to me, though, to see choice shrinking rather than expanding in public libraries. I have nothing against sci-fi/fantasy being well represented for readers who love it. I do object to mediocre and poorly written sci-fi/fantasy crowding out other genres, though. (I certainly can't tell, though, what is good and what is bad in the genre because I don't read enough of it, but I've been told very frequently by several family members who love the genre that about 70% of it is crap. I'll take their word for it because among them they have almost 150 years of reading experience, a lot of it in sf/fantasy, and even they see their beloved genre is over-represented -- and debased because of it.) There comes a point when a significant portion of the clientele is not being served well because the most popular genres are hogging everything, and those people will get discouraged and turn away; perhaps some potential readers will be lost because the library doesn't have much of anything they need or have an interest in. The libraries have already lost me, but I don't count because I have other resources -- it's those who don't have alternatives I feel the saddest for.