Amanda Roe, a western Canada native, loves the Sault and Algoma area’s natural beauty.
That, coupled with the fact that she is a research scientist working for Natural Resources Canada at Sault Ste. Marie’s Great Lakes Forestry Centre (GLFC), has led her to work on early detection tools to sniff out the destructive Asian long-horned beetle.
The creatures love to bore into trees, especially maple trees, their harmful presence posing a potentially devastating effect on Canada’s proud maple syrup industry.
Roe spoke with SooToday ahead of Invasive Species Awareness Week, which takes place Feb. 22 to Feb. 26.
Though we’re in the depths of winter, some of these creatures can survive the cold Canadian climate.
Click on the attached audio file to hear our conversation with Amanda Roe as she tells us what we, as area residents, can do to help scientists battle invasive species.