THE THREAT
A worm too small to see

Beech leaf disease is caused by a microscopic nematode — Litylenchus crenatae mccannii — that lives inside the leaf buds, feeding through fall and winter and deforming each leaf before it ever opens. First come the dark bands between the veins; then curling, leathery, "crispy" foliage, thinning canopies, dead branches. Young trees can die within a few years. First found in Ohio in 2012, it has crossed into fifteen states and Canada — and it now reaches every county in Pennsylvania. It travels on wind, rain, and insects, and on the very animals that come to feed on the beechnuts.
Beech Tree Collective
A project of Bucks County, PA




Who We Are
Beech Tree Collective is a design-driven conservation platform that invites people into a closer relationship with the beech trees in their communities. Through observation, mapping, and education, it helps build a living record of change over time.
     
Current Focus
Outreach, partnership, development.

       
 Near-Term Focus
Integrating Beechlens census, initiating institutional partnerships, public engagement.


Long-term Focus
Longitudinal monitoring, public stewardship and sponsored remediation and research. 


Current Board Members
Kelly Stratton

Vicki Sando

Liam Martin
© Beech Tree Collective