I

From Unwanted to Invited

Remember, invasive species did not come along uninvited. The movement of non-native species is anthropogenic. Humans brought these plants and animals across land and sea, across borders and ecosystems. Stowed in pockets, cages, and crates, most often brought along for colonial and capitalist endeavors—to feed livestock, or to be livestock, to thwart pests, or to decorate landscapes. As you think about these species, do not discount their origin stories: People invited them here, and people now say they do not belong.

II.

From Alien to Kin

Invasive! Monster! Alien! In a world of mass extinction and climate chaos, it can be easy to imagine that the only species that can spread so rampantly are premeditatively violent, monstrous, or otherworldly. They are portrayed as invaders—natural enemies in a fight to save the world (or at least an ecosystem). But these plants and animals are waging no wars. Rather, they have been swept up in a centuries-long global system of expansion and trade, and are trying to survive in a world that recoils at their presence and applauds their demise. The words used to speak of these species impart the idea that they are sub-natural,supernatural, or unnatural, but whether or not we want them around, all parts of the natural world can be called kin.

III.

From Managing to Caring

Don’t be fooled: When we talk about managing invasive species, we are almost always talking about killing them—by poison, by axe, net, and trap, by bullet, or bulldozer. If species are kin, ecosystems are our neighborhoods, and unfettered attacks on one species can harm the habitat as a whole. What if we approached this work with more care? Slow down, empathize, listen. When we carefully observe relationships between species (invasive or otherwise), we can better understand how best to support these communities and carefully remove those that disrupt thriving ecosystems in ways that minimize harm.

IV.

From Drivers to Passengers

Invasive species are often blamed as being drivers of extinction, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse. But in most cases, these species are actually arriving in the wake of ongoing ecological damage. More often, the real driver is development, deforestation, pollution, habitat loss, and increasingly, changes in climate. These drivers weaken habitat resiliency and throw things out of balance, allowing invasive species to spread more easily. So don’t blame them for thriving in circumstances we’ve created—save your anger and frustration for human-induced conditions that deteriorated these habitats in the first place, and remember that kudzu and knotweed, nutria and starlings, lampreys and lanternflies are merely passengers, driven by global systems of extraction.

V.

From Invasive Species Eradication to Systemic Change

Consider a future imaginary day when every species we consider invasive has been eliminated. Would mass extinction, biodiversity loss, climate chaos, famine, and drought suddenly end? Of course not. Modern invasion ecology often provides scapegoats for blame instead of fully addressing current and historic root causes. You can pull weeds from your garden all day, but until we fully recognize the consequences of capitalist priorities, your garden will continue to wilt. Let us rather look toward systemic change—a postcapitalist ecology informed by the recognition that we are not separate from nature. Land stewardship will always require limitation of certain species, but if we collectively shift our goals from the pursuit of profit to the well-being of people and planet, we can move away from Sisyphean conservation.

Learn more about the history of invasive species here.