The Sudden Oak Death Blitz is coming to Napa on April 2. This will be the twelfth year in which Napa volunteers participate in the statewide effort to map this devastating disease.
Sudden Oak Death showed an increase in Napa County following rainy winters and a decrease in drought years. Blitz leader, Dr. Matteo Garbelotto stated recently: “Napa County was well-sampled in 2021 but had no positive finds of SOD.” That is good news and an interesting comparison to other parts of the state. And we must not become complacent. SOD can rebound quickly when environmental conditions favor the disease.
SOD (Phytophthora ramorum) has killed millions of oaks and tanoaks in California. It spreads most readily in mild, wet weather. Napa’s role in the statewide effort has been helpful in understanding how the disease spreads or retreats in various climate zones.
The Napa SOD Blitz is an opportunity to learn about Sudden Oak Death, how to assess the risk of the disease in your area and to get free testing using California bay laurel leaves from any property of your choice in Napa County. Bay laurels are the most significant carrier of the disease, which spreads in water from infected leaves into live oaks, black oaks, and tanoaks.
Prof. Garbelotto and his UC Berkeley Forest Pathology and Mycology Lab lead the project, perform lab analysis of samples, conduct research and maintain mapping of the disease.
How does it work?
Volunteers interested in participating must go online to https://nature.berkeley.edu/matteolab/?page_id=5906 to view a training video and sign up.
On the day of the Blitz — Saturday April 2—volunteers pick up their sample collection packet containing small envelopes for collecting symptomatic bay leaves and forms to fill out for each sample. Packet pickup is from 9am-12pm at the front porch of the Napa County Ag. Commissioner’s Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue. Bill Pramuk will be there to greet volunteers and distribute the packets.
Locations are identified by using the free download smart phone app SOD Map Mobile, which is available only for iPhones or iPad. Volunteers can download it beforehand or on the day of the Blitz. The app provides the required GPS coordinates where each sample is collected.
Volunteers go out and collect samples on that Saturday or the following day and return the packets to the Ag Commissioner’s Office by early Monday morning.
The samples are then taken to the UC Berkeley Lab where they are tested. Results are posted in October for the statewide effort, which is held in over twenty locations in California.
This is an interesting, fun event and appropriate for families and classroom outings.
For information about the Napa County SOD Blitz, contact info@billpramuk.com