Hello! Looking for something to smile about in this wet and dreary weather? Well how about today's seed of hope - a combination of the resilience of nature, and the ingenuity of us humans.
Ash Dieback, or Chalara (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), a fungus that kills ash trees, had been predicted to spell the extinction of this much loved tree. Fortunately, a glimmer of hope has appeared on the horizon. In forests where the disease has been around for over twenty years, some trees are still going strong, suggesting genes for resistance really do exist.
I briefly mentioned this in a post about the plight of plants. Researchers are saying "If this survival is due to heritable resistance, then conservation policies targeting breeding programs or natural selection may allow ash populations to flourish once again."
Summed up, a few hardy ash trees have the genes to survive this devastating disease. Scientists are working on growing these resistant individuals, in order to raise forests back up from the ashes. There is much hope for maintaining this invaluable habitat for wildlife, and beautiful green spaces for humans to reap the benefits of nature!
Want to know the full story of Chalara in the UK? Check out the UK forestry commission. Also, here is a very short video showing you what it actually looks like!
Thank you so much for reading. Come back same time next week for more seeds of hope, to bring a smile to your face, and motivation to make planet-friendly decisions.
