Scientific Staff

Tricia Bethke, MS

Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, Illinois

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Tricia brings her considerable expertise in environmental science and pest identification to her role as the Arboretum’s Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator.

Tricia conducts statewide outreach and training on invasive forest pests in Illinois. This includes identifying and training key stakeholders about invasive species, pest identification, regulations and quarantines, as well as reporting protocols.

She was also key to the coordination and development of a robust outreach strategy for the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI)—a collaborative partnership for coordinated action on key issues facing trees and the largest such initiative in the country.

Tricia coordinated the education and outreach strategy for the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI). CRTI is a collaborative partnership for coordinated action on key issues facing trees. CRTI is leveraging funding, knowledge, skills, and expertise to build a healthier, more diverse regional forest.

She has contributed to the Continental Dialogue, which cultivates and catalyzes collaborative action among diverse interests to abate the threat to North American forests from non-native insects and diseases.

Tricia partnered with The Nature Conservancy to conduct a statewide needs assessment for volunteer stewards and natural areas management. She also coordinated the Invasive Species Field Research project, which developed monitoring protocols and field research for Northern Illinois Invasive Plant Partnerships (NIIPPs) grant (2012) on the globe thistle, Echinops sphaerocephalus.

Education

MS, Natural Resources and Environment Science

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

BA, Psychology

Rosemont College, Rosemont

Member: Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases Steering Committee.
Partnership: The Nature Conservancy