North-facing Gorge Rim Forest

The eastern hemlock trees in front of you cover most of this north-facing side of the gorge and are threatened by a very small insect known as the hemlock woolly adelgid. This invasive insect has decimated stands of hemlock trees in forests of northeastern United States, and has infested trees here and many other Cornell natural areas. Cornell Botanic Gardens staff have put much effort into treating over 1200 hemlocks with a systemic insecticide, training volunteers to detect infestations early, and collaborating on adelgid bio-control research.