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Resident urges protection for Drew Forest, recommends non-spray mosquito control
Summary
A local resident and Friends of the Drew Forest volunteer urged the council to protect the 53-acre Drew Forest, discouraged broad mosquito spraying and described alternative, yard-level controls during public comment.
During the meeting’s public comment period, Claire Whitcomb of 12 Fairwood Road urged the borough and neighbors to protect the Drew Forest and discouraged the use of broad-area mosquito spraying.
Whitcomb, speaking as a member of Friends of the Drew Forest, praised community efforts to preserve the 53-acre urban forest and praised prior educational programming by naturalist Doug Tallamy. She urged residents to employ yard-level practices to support biodiversity and to avoid spraying adult mosquitoes. “Spraying for adult mosquitoes is like trying to shoot them with a rifle. It’s not effective and you kill all insects,” she said, recommending removing standing water and offering a simple larval trap, which she called the “bucket of doom,” as a backyard control measure.
Whitcomb noted the Friends group’s multi-year advocacy and thanked local officials and volunteers, naming Mayor Conley and borough staff for their support. The comment period drew applause and mayoral acknowledgment; the council did not take any immediate action on Drew Forest management at the meeting.
The speaker also referenced Doug Tallamy’s recorded talk and a recent local event that drew about 90 registrants, asserting community interest in native-plant gardening and biodiversity. The council acknowledged the comment and the mayor thanked the speaker for the reminder and for the mosquito-control information.
