On 16 July 2025, two international research projects, FORSAID and EABRACE, came together for a joint field workshop in the Haisyn Forestry District (Vinnytsia Region) of Ukraine.

The event was organised by institutional partners from the Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) and drew participants from the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine, the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine", the Central Forest Office, as well as the State Specialised Forest Protection Enterprises "Kyiv Forest Protection" and "Kherson Forest Protection". Other forest protection specialists from forestry enterprises in the Vinnytsia Region were also in attendance.

The main goal of the workshop was to present and explore ongoing project activities with stakeholders and professionals. Specifically, automatic trapping systems for monitoring bark beetles and oak processionary moths were in focus via live demonstrations of trap installations. The devices were provided by FORSAID partner EFOS. 

The workshop site and the associated oak processionary moth monitoring area were selected based on forest protection records showing outbreaks in the Haisyn Forestry District between 2010 and 2013. During those occurrences, biological insecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis (bitoxybacillin) were used to control the outbreaks. 

Given the favourable natural conditions and forest stand composition in the region, such periodic proliferations of pest populations remain a significant concern. The use of conventional pheromone traps in conjunction with fully automated traps (a modern method for detection and control currently being tested within the FORSAID framework) offers promising approaches for improved forest health monitoring and pest control.

In addition to the practical showcases, the seminar also provided a platform to discuss venues for future cooperation, particularly concerning the management of invasive pests such as the emerald ash borer (EAB) - a key focus of the EABRACE project. Moreover, forestry enterprises from Central and Southern Ukraine expressed strong interest in monitoring the spread of defoliating and bark-boring insects, including the oak and pine processionary moth, the pine-tree lappet, the gypsy moth and the pine sawfly.

All participants received a full set of informational materials describing the projects’ objectives and the main target pest species being monitored in Ukraine with the aforementioned technologies.