Recharging the chonk.

First detected in the US in PA a decade ago, the Spotted Lanternfly was found in Indiana in 2021. Native to parts of Asia, it has no natural predators here, so it's a real threat to grapes, hops, fruit trees and other important native trees in the Midwest. Keep an eye out and help stop the spread.

Toe beans, toe beans,toe bee-ee-eans.

Invasives 101: Canada Thistle This is a pernicious invasive that spreads via seed and root, so it's really hard to control. But if you see it, stop it. I'm battling it right now in my yard, and I'm kicking myself for not recognizing it earlier. 😢 extension.umn.edu/identify-inv...

If you want to understand why planting natives is important, here's a good primer from Doug Tallamy.