A new breed of predator beetles that could help fight the hemlock wooly adelgid were released in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park two weeks ago.

The hemlock wooly adelgid is a bug from Asia that has invaded the Southern Appalachian Mountains and is rapidly infesting hemlock trees. Without action, the region could lose nearly all of its hemlock trees within five to 10 years, leaving a gaping hole in the forest ecosystem and the landscape.

The eastern hemlock has long been one of my favorite trees. Like many people reading this column, my wife, Elizabeth, and I have a number of very large specimens growing on our property, especially alongside a creek that traverses the cove we live in. And, of course, we’re very concerned about losing these wonderful trees to the hemlock woolly adelgid infestation that is currently ravaging the southern mountains. All of our hemlocks show signs of the infestation, and we will hate to lose them. This column, then, is sort of an ode to the hemlock.