ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, at the University of Maine, will host a talk “The Menacing Moth of Maine: Understanding Browntail Moth and Their Outbreaks” on Monday, April 1, at 3 p.m.

Since 2015, the browntail moth outbreak in Maine has left residents and visitors alike itching for a solution. Despite its presence in Maine for over a century, various changes, including shifts in climate, policies and management practices, have rendered this outbreak uniquely challenging. Join UMaine’s Angela Mech to learn about the history and ecology of this tree pest, and the research being conducted to help find a solution for this irritating insect.

Angela Mech is an Assistant Professor of Forest Entomology in the School of Biology and Ecology at the University of Maine. She has spent over a decade researching ways to keep our trees and forests healthy. Since her arrival to Maine in 2020, she has focused the bulk of her research program on ways to monitor and manage browntail moth.

All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free and are offered remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall on the UMaine campus in Orono.

Registration is required to attend remotely; to register and receive connection information, see the event webpage.

To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196 or hallsworth@maine.edu.

Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

The Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine aspires to be a leader and valued partner in understanding and solving problems related to the growing challenge of improving human well-being while protecting the environment. We collaborate with diverse stakeholders and bring together faculty and students from many different fields. By connecting knowledge with action, we seek to create a brighter environmental, social and economic future in and beyond Maine.

About the University of Maine

As Maine’s only public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, the University of Maine advances learning and discovery through excellence and innovation. Founded in 1865 in Orono, UMaine is the state’s land, sea and space grant university with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. Our students come from all over the world and work with faculty conducting fieldwork around the globe — from the North Atlantic to the Antarctic. Located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation with UMaine Machias located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation, UMaine’s statewide mission is to foster an environment that creates tomorrow’s leaders. As the state’s flagship institution, UMaine offers nearly 200 degree programs through which students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, professional master’s and doctoral degrees as well as graduate certificates. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu/about/quick-facts/ and machias.edu/about-umm/umm-facts/.