Join the Catskill Center’s Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) for our December Partners Meeting, featuring a presentation on Biological Control of Emerald Ash Borer in the New York City Watershed by Collin Miller, Watershed Forester with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP).

Date: Friday, December 11, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Virtual via Zoom

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive, wood-boring insect responsible for the widespread decline and mortality of ash trees across North America. In the New York City Watershed, white ash makes up approximately 6% of trees on NYC-owned forestland, making the spread of EAB a significant concern for forest health and biodiversity.

During this presentation, Collin will explore NYC DEP's efforts to combat EAB through biological control, including the release of three species of parasitic wasps that specifically target the invasive insect. Since joining a nationwide biological control initiative in 2020, NYC DEP has established release sites throughout the watershed, with promising results. In 2025, researchers successfully recovered one of the introduced wasp species at a release site in Neversink, suggesting that the population is successfully reproducing.

Learn how these ongoing biological control efforts, combined with other forest management strategies, offer hope for the long-term recovery and preservation of ash trees in our region.

This meeting is free and open to CRISP partners and anyone interested in invasive species management and forest conservation.

Meet the Presenter: Collin Miller

Originally from Binghamton, NY, Collin Miller joined the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) in 2016. As a Watershed Forester, he plans and implements forest management projects on City-owned lands within the Cannonsville and Pepacton Reservoir Basins.

Before joining NYC DEP, Collin provided technical assistance to the forest and wood products manufacturing industries through the Watershed Agricultural Council and Northern Forest Center. He also has experience in hardwood sawmill procurement.

Collin graduated with honors from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), earning an A.A.S. in 1999 and a B.S. in 2002. He is an alumnus of the Student Conservation Association and AmeriCorps and holds a New York State Pesticide Applicator License.

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry , Bugwood.org