Newspaper article discusses state of prominent historic sycamore tree on Route 7 in Great Barrington, Mass. Article quotes CAFE website on sycamore anthracnose and how it affects the tree. Article quotes Great Barrington's tree warden, Michael Peretti, an arboriculture graduate of UMass Amherst. (Berkshire Eagle, 6/29/19)
News from the Media
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Historic Tree Suffering from Fungus
June 29, 2019 -
Protecting Watersheds by Program "Forests to Faucets," UMass's Barten Coined Phrase
June 24, 2019Whitefish, Montana finds it is cheaper and easier to have forests naturally cleanse water than to build and operate water filtration plants quotes Paul Barten, environmental conservation, who coined the term “forests to faucets.” (Christian Science Monitor, 6/21/19)
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New England Maple Syrup Production To Decline In The Next Century
June 20, 2019A new report from researchers at UMass Amherst and the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC) says maple syrup production will decline in New England in the next century as rising temperatures shift peak syrup production northward into Canada. Toni Lyn Morelli NCASC and Kristina Stinson, environmental conservation were on the research team. (NBC5 6/24/19; Gazette, 6/21/19; ScienceBlog, 6/18/19; News Office release)
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Norovirus Close-ups Might Help Fight Stomach Flu
June 18, 2019An article reporting that close-up images of several strains of norovirus reveal the virus comes in a variety of sizes quotes Matthew D. Moore, food science, who says this discovery could aid in vaccine development. (ScienceNews, 6/17/19)
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How Polar Bears Evolved From Grizzly Relative, Gibbons Reports
June 18, 2019Scientists from UMass Amherst, led by John Gibbons, food science, have shed new light on the genomic foundation of the polar bear’s ecological adaptation. Gibbons, along with Ph.D. student Shu Zhao and graduate students from Vanderbilt and Clark University, have published findings pinpointing rapid changes in the bear’s gene copy numbers in response to their diet shifting from vegetation to meat. (CBC, 6/23/19; Phys.org, 6/17/19; Technology Networks, 6/18/19; News Office release)
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David Sela Comments on Phase Two of Human Microbiome Studies
May 29, 2019David Sela, food sciences and microbiology, says three new studies that track people’s microbiomes though health and disease, specifically prediabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and pregnancy, are “expansive” and “well executed.” He was not involved in studies. (The Scientist 5/29/19)
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Forest Park Arboretum Projects Embarks on ID Program
May 28, 2019ReGreen President David V. Bloniarz, who is also project director for the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said the Forest Park Arboretum project in Springfield is well under way. “By October 2019, we will have labeled the first 300 trees,” Bloniarz said, adding that the project’s goal is to have 500 trees labeled by August 2020. (Republican, 5/28/19)
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David Julian McClements Authors New Book: Future Foods
May 28, 2019A new book, “Future Foods: How Modern Science is Transforming the Way We Eat,” by David Julian McClements, food science, looks at innovations like 3-D food printers, nano foods and bug burgers. (Lancaster Farming, 6/1/19; NEPR 6/5/19; Medicine News Line, 5/27/19; Phys.org, 5/24/19; News Office release)
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Stephen Rich Discusses TickReport at UMass Amherst's Mt. Ida Campus
May 14, 2019At a public event held at UMass Amherst’s Mount Ida campus, Stephen Rich, microbiology, presented information about TickReport, a service his lab runs that allows people to mail in ticks and receive a report about disease-causing microbes the tick may be carrying. (Boston 25 News, 5/14/19; News Office release)
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David Boutt Comments on New Geologic Sources of Lithium
May 8, 2019David F. Boutt, UMass geosciences, says environmental issues may hamper future mining of lithium, a key chemical used in rechargeable batteries. He says mining in Chile is complicated by the need to protect water tables and maintain habitats for flamingoes and other wild birds. (Science News, 5/7/19)
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Jackson Remarks On Report of Accelerating Loss of Plants and Animals
May 7, 2019Scott D. Jackson, UMass Extension and environmental conservation, comments in a news story about the regional effects outlined in a United Nations report that finds the loss of plant and animal species around the world will increase in coming years. Jackson says he is worried about the unexpected consequences of biodiversity loss. (Globe 5/6/19)
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Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Restored to Nevada Creek
May 6, 2019A collaboration of four federal and state agencies (at UMass led by Profesor Christine Hatch), raised a genetically-pure native Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) and found an excellent mountain creek in Nevada for restoration. (Gazette 5/3/19)
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Food Science Ice Cream Competition Produces a Winner!
May 2, 2019Six teams of UMass Amherst food science students, most of them seniors and food science majors, had their newly developed ice cream flavors tasted and judged by Maple Valley Creamery representatives and a panel of culinary professionals on May 1 at the Integrated Learning Center. The winning flavor, Vanilla Chai, will be produced by Maple Valley Creamery in Hadley and sold in local markets, branded with a UMass Amherst logo. The product development course is taught this year by Matthew Steffens, a UMass Amherst food science alumnus. (WWLP-TV 22, 5/1/19; News Office release)
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Dyed Mulch Can Include Dangerous Chemicals
April 26, 2019Some wood ground into dyed mulch can include dangerous chemicals, including creosote and CCA (chromium, copper and arsenic), according to the UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. CCA has been banned as a chemical used in pressure-treated wood since 2003 but treated wood still exists in old outdoor structures and is often scrapped out and made into mulch. (Courier & Press [Evansville, Ind.], 4/25/19)
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Olga Kostromytska Presents at New England Regional Turfgrass Conference & Show
April 22, 2019Olga Kostromytska, UMass extension assistant professor in turfgrass entomology, spoke at the New England Regional Turfgrass Conference & Show about how golf course superintendents can work with turfgrass specialists to conduct research at their courses. (Golf Course Industry, 4/10/19)
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UMass Addresses Concerns Over Spraying at Turf Facility
April 8, 2019 -
Lawn Mowing Frequency Affects Bee Abundance and Diversity
April 7, 2019Research led by Dr. Susannah Lerman from UMASS Amhert, shows that cutting grass every two weeks helps to grow more pollinating plants that bees need to survive.(Boston25news.com 4/7/19)
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Head of Food Science at UMass Amherst Elected President of International Industry Group
April 3, 2019Professor Eric Decker, head of food science at the UMass Amherst, has been elected president of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS). Their goal is to advance the science and technology of oils, fats, proteins, surfactants and related materials. (News Office Release 4/3/19)
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Marine Protected Reserves Do More Than Restore Fish
April 1, 2019In a new analysis of the effectiveness of marine protected areas, UMass assistant professor, Brian Cheng, and colleagues in environmental conservation report that reserves not only replenish target fish populations, they also restore ecological functioning. (Nature World News 4/2/19; News Office Release)
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Deerfield Selectboard Wants to Hear from UMass About Spraying at Turf Center
March 25, 2019Mary Dettloff, deputy director for the Office of News and Media Relations at UMass, said they have been working steadily on a response to the questions raised and are nearly finished. She said they plan to reach out to the town to be placed on an upcoming agenda. (Recorder 3/21/19)
