May 2022 E-News

Bounty On
The Bradford Pear
Yes, there is a bounty on the Bradford and Callery Pears. Many states and cities have launched programs aimed at removing and even banning the Bradford and Callery pears. The city of Greensboro, N.C. has instituted a one for five campaign for every Bradford or Callery that is removed from a citizen's property five native plants are given to replace the removed tree. A bit of history on how the Bradford pear has fallen from Landscape Grace. The Callery pear which serves as a rootstock for the Bradford was initially brought to the United States as a possible substitute for pears which were susceptible to "Fire Blight" in 1908. During the 1950's research experimentation led to the development of the Bradford Pear , a sterile tree which produced a huge amount of flowers with great fall color, and thrived in many adverse environmental conditions. The Bradford was introduced to the nursery industry as a landscape tree in 1960 and soon found favor with landscapers and homeowners.

Problems soon developed for the Bradford, high winds combined with snow and ice loads led to broken limbs and split trunks, due to weak upright branch angles and a large amount of bark inclusion . New cultivars were developed with better branch angles in hopes of overcoming the splitting problems. This led to yet another problem, Bradfords which were sterile by themselves could now breed with the new cultivars and produce seed. Seeds that were spread by wildlife throughout the landscape. Additionally, scions on the Bradford which failed to develop provided a means for the Callery rootstock to develop, the sterile Bradford was replaced by a pear that now produced seed. The Callery seed produced feral trees that were easily pollinated, thorny, and competed with native species for space and nutrients which destroys bio-diversity. One final issue with the seed, often trees are removed and seem to reemerge overnight. This is due to the seed being exposed to high temperatures which causes a state of dormancy. This dormant seed bank germinates when conditions are right in a cleared area free of mature trees, now the owner once again has Bradford and Callerys to remove.

So if you're in need of a landscape tree, take into consideration the previous mentioned issues before planting the Bradford and related cultivars. The NCSU Extension website contains several tools to assist you in selecting a substitute for the Bradford. One of the best is the Plant Tool Box feature which when accessed allows the user to view pictures and habitat information. Enjoy the Spring and make careful and educated plant material selections.

Deyton 4-H After School Club

Deyton 4-H After School Club This month was very POWERful. We had something each week that was interesting to everyone. The students learned about structural engineering by having to build something that resembled a bridge with only toothpicks and gumdrops. The final test was to have them place 3 books on top. We had to do some trial and error but we finally made one that withheld the POWER.

We also learned about the sugar content in candy by using sugar cubes to give them a visual of how much sugar is in each thing. The detail that caught everyone off guard was the amount when the package has more than one serving. It makes you start looking at the labels of the items we consume.

However, I do believe that the most powerful lesson of all this month was learning how solar panels work. We built a bug by using a kit that contained a solar panel and a battery. We then took the bugs outside and put them in sunlight and they started vibrating. There were some bugs that didn’t work properly but it was because there was not enough sun, and they learned about the importance of enough sunlight and proper installation.

Overall, this was an amazing month. We only have May left for this year, so let's end it with a BANG. We will be sending out the forms for our summer programs in the next week, so please get those in as soon as possible because SPACE IS LIMITED and on a first come first serve basis.

Empowering Youth and Families Program Updates

Classes are going well in Mitchell County!

The Spruce Pine Housing Authority and the Spruce Pine Public Library continue to show us support and generosity as we use their spaces. Our Mitchell participants only have two more classes before they complete the program.

We'll be heading to camp at the Millstone 4-H Center May 20-22, in Ellerbe, NC.

Mitchell EYFP families will be gathering with other participating families from across the state (and Eastern TN). Families will have the opportunity to explore the camp facilities and have fun with activities such as:

Canoeing and Kayaking
Crafts
Swimming
Hiking
Field Games
Ropes Courses
Shooting Sports (archery, riflery, and shotguns)
And Much More!

To read more about Family Camp Weekend, click here.