It started when a sinister-looking bug that fell on someone's lap in a backyard on a summer afternoon. That chance discovery led to a terrible realization: insect-invaders from Asia were killing trees in New England, and the only way to stop the pests was to cut down and grind up nearly 30,000 trees. Worcester, MA could be any town in America-not too big, not too small-but it learned that, in today's world of nearly infinite international trade, an invasive pest can sneak in, become established, and wreak havoc, unless citizens are informed and vigilant. Donna Massie noticed that strange, black bug in her backyard, and her Internet search set off a chain of events that resulted in the cutting down of over 25,000 trees.
—Anonymous