The guest speaker at the Feb. 8 FANS of Wash. Park meeting was Dan Goldhamer, Horticulture Agent for the Denver Extension of C.S.U. His presentation on the Japanese Beetle covered the life cycle the beetle, ways to diagnose the damage caused by both the larval and adult forms, and treatment options for larval and adult forms. An excellent summary of his presentation can be found at JBfactsheetCSU and soon to be on www.fanswashingtonpark.org, as the JBFactsheet. Of further significance, per Mr. Goldhamer, the best treatment of the adults, with least side effects to the environment, is hand catching them in soapy (must use insecticide soap, not dish soap) water and throwing them in the garbage. An attendee freezes them and feeds them to chickens. Also, the beetles are spread by carrying wood with you, so do not carry wood to the mountains or western slope, where they currently are not present.
The guest speaker for the March 8 FANS meeting will be Amy Yarger, Horticulture Director, Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster. She will discuss which plants attract pollinators and how to improve pollinator habitat.
Active park projects include: Loop Road renovation to improve safety, hopefully to begin in late Spring-early Summer; playground renovation, hopefully to begin in early Fall; 150 year City Ditch celebration event, with replacement of bronze historical plaque, this summer; designation of a Gerald Endsley Tribute Bench this summer.