Denver Botanic Gardens, Flobots collaborate on EAB music video for Be A Smart Ash

DENVER — What happens when you give a bunch of tree nerds access to a camera, Denver’s beautiful Cheesman Park, a metallic emerald ash borer suit and a local hip hop legend? One Smart Ash music video, that’s what!

Be A Smart Ash is proud to present “EAB (Get Ready),” a music video produced by our amazing partners at the Denver Botanic Gardens in collaboration with Open Media Foundation, Johnny 5 of the Flobots and a cast of well-trained volunteer actors from the Denver City Forester’s Office, a division of Denver Parks & Recreation.

The goal of this project is to raise awareness about emerald ash borer (EAB), which feasts on the common ash tree. Having desecrated forests in more than 25 states and parts of Canada, EAB is now the most destructive forest pest in U.S. history.

While the invasive pest has not yet been found in Denver, it was discovered in Boulder in 2013 and also found in Longmont in 2016. That means it’s simply a matter of time before EAB arrives in Denver and poses an immediate threat to the metro area’s 1.45 million ash tress.

That’s right, folks: 1 in 6 Denver trees is an ash, and you may have one in your backyard. But who wants to be a Debbie Downer when you can Be A Smart Ash? We have a plethora of great tools you can utilize on this very site to help protect our urban canopy from EAB.

Not sure whether you have an ash tree? We have this nifty interactive map that can help. If you do have an ash tree, head over to the What Can I Do? page to begin laying the groundwork for your EAB defense plan. Decided you want to remove your ash tree? We can help you turn it into a beautiful table, door or even a bicycle. Need a tree to replace an ash tree you’ve removed? Apply for a free tree.