Invasive beetle prompts
Kane County quarantine

Jan Watson from the Morton Arboretum helped set up a trap tree on Fermilab grounds in 2005.

The Emerald Ash borer, a half-inch long, metallic green beetle, was first detected in Michigan in 2002, and has since caused the death of more than 20 million ash trees. Hailing originally from Asia, the beetles have no natural enemies in the United States, and their presence has forced strict regulations on transporting wood in five Midwest states, including Illinois. In January, hoping to contain a possible spread of the beetle, Kane County announced a quarantine prohibiting removal of whole firewood from the county.

The pest gets its name from its behavior during the larval stage, when hatchlings from eggs laid in the bark burrow into a host tree. "They bore under the bark and into the plant's vascular tissue, which is like our veins," said Fermilab ecologist Rod Walton. The destruction of the vascular tissue prevents water and nutrients from reaching the tree's branches. The larvae overwinter in the bark and pupate in spring. A large borer infestation can kill an ash tree in as little as 2 years.

Despite the telltale D-shaped holes they leave in a tree's bark when the adult beetle emerges, detection is difficult, since infestations usually begin in the upper canopy of the tree. In 2005, Fermilab collaborated with the Morton Arboretum to set up four "trap trees" on site to help determine if the borer had invaded Fermilab, said Bob Lootens of Roads and Grounds. Researchers from the arboretum removed bark in a ring around the trees and covered the bark above it with a sticky grey gel, which traps any insects on the tree. "If you peel back the bark and the borers smell the exposed sap, they might go to it," said Lootens, a current member and former chairman of Fermilab's Ecological Land Management committee.

Although the trap trees didn't turn up any emerald ash borers on Fermilab grounds, the ELM team plans to set up another trap tree in the near future and continues to take precautions against the beetle. Since a portion of Fermilab lies in Kane County, Roads and Grounds employees take extra precautions when transporting wood to the rest of the site, which lies in DuPage County. "We take them to burn piles or chip them as we cut," said Lootens. "We're keeping our ear to the ground."

The Daily Herald,
February 19, 2007

Working on possibly the longest 'Star Wars' movie of all time

Max Monningh, left, of St. Charles, and Jim Kirkhoff, of Batavia, rehearse their lines for "Star Wars: Forgotten Realm." The movie was written and is being directed by Darren Crawford, a Fermilab employee. (Whitney Curtis/Daily Herald)

George Lucas might be done making "Star Wars" movies, but his fans aren't.

And possibly one of the longest and most extensive independent fan films is taking shape in Kane County.

Written and directed by Darren Crawford, "Star Wars: Forgotten Realm" could be coming to public access television and the Internet by 2009.

The Yorkville man and his crew have been shooting scenes at a Waubonsee Community College studio since early 2006.

Crawford, an operations crew chief at Batavia's Fermilab, hopes to wrap up filming of live actors this year and spend next year creating digital environments and backgrounds for his characters.