Natural Invaders

I often teach about invasive species and how destructive they are. Locally we've recently experienced the Asian Long-Horned Beetle, the Gypsy Moth and the Emerald Ash Borer, but there are other invaders that we overlook. They go unnoticed because they've been around so long that we forget that their not native (naturalized) or we think that they only have a positive impact on nature. The earthworm fits both misconceptions. It's European and presumed to be a helper so we praise it. Minute Earth digs deeper.

Honeybees are another good example of a Non-Native that we assume is good and natural. The recent Colony Collapse Disorder arose in part because of our inbreeding of very specific types of European Honey Bees. NPR covers this in their article No Offense, American Bees, But Your Sperm Isn't Cutting It. Pollination also occurs from a host of Native Bees who are experiencing some of the same declines as honeybees. The Pollinator Pathway project seeks to solve our pollination problems in a new way, NPR profiles this approach in Why Honeybees Are The Wrong Problem To Solve.