CENTRAL MAINE • February 19, 2026
Maine is preparing to recognize Invasive Species Awareness Week, Feb. 23-March 1. Early detection, public awareness and reporting remain some of the most effective tools available to protect forests and other areas, according to Allison Kanoti, Forest Health and Monitoring Division director, and Gary Fish, state horticulturist, who offered information about invasive species and the part people can play in identifying and reporting them. The top five invasive species of particular concern right now:
• Asian longhorned beetle
• Emerald ash borer
• Winter moth
• Spotted lanternfly
• Hemlock woolly adelgid