Thursday, April 14

If you garden, chances are you’ve encountered aphids on your beloved roses or attached to the leaves of a favorite garden vegetable. Aphids are an annoyance to gardeners but their role in the food chain and farming may become more problematic due to climate change. Join Clallam County Master Gardener Muriel Nesbitt for a Green Thumb Gardening Tips Zoom presentation on April 14th from noon – 1:00 p.m. for a fascinating look at how the problem with aphids is heating up.

Muriel will discuss aphid biology and their role on the distribution of plant viruses. She will also detail the role of heat units—or growing degree days—on aphid emergence and habitat range. Muriel will also look at projections about future local changes in growing degree days and potential future effects of aphids on food security. “Gardeners may now think of local increases in growing degree days as a positive thing, and this talk may bring awareness of some of the potentially negative effects of ongoing local climate changes,” Muriel said.

Muriel began her career as a high school teacher in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She went on to become a graduate student at the University of Washington where she earned a Ph.D. in genetics. Muriel was a professor of biology at University of California, Los Angeles for two years and then taught biology at University of California, San Diego for 35 years before retiring to Port Angeles in 2008.

Join by computer: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/92007991742?pwd=OWxtbmNBditKd3ordjA2WEFyME9PUT09

Or join by phone: 253-215-8782

Meeting ID: 920 0799 1742

Passcode: 709395

The “Green Thumbs Garden Tips” education series, sponsored by the WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners, is held on the second and fourth Thursday each month through October. In November, December, and January, one lecture is offered. Scheduled presentations are subject to change.

Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar for the latest information on upcoming presentations.

For questions, call 360-565-2679.