The Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council (MAIPC) has opened registration for its upcoming conference. The 2-day event will take place October 20–21 at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia! More info + registration ➡️ invasivesfree.org/maipc-confer...

A recent study published in PNAS (co-authored by ISC Affiliate, Dr. Haldre Rogers) offers the first global analysis of how species introductions and extinctions are transforming plant–animal interactions on 120 oceanic islands 🐦🌱 Full article here ➡️ www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Dr. Stacy Endriss recently presented at Virginia Tech's weekly Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior (EEB) Seminar Series. Stacy is an Assistant Professor of #InvasiveSpecies Research and Extension and studies non-native plants, as well as insect interactions with such plants 🌿🌱

This collaborative research explores Indigenous perspectives on Bimiizii (sea lamprey), an invasive species introduced to the Great Lakes in the mid-1800s. This project will also emphasize relational understandings often absent in mainstream invasion ecology. Way to go, Beth and team!

🍂 #HokieHike 2025 is here! Hike anywhere, anytime from Oct. 1 to Nov. 17, & join Hokies worldwide for an adventure! 🔗 aimsbbis.vt.edu/hike25 While you're out on the trails, remember: even the smallest seed can cause big problems. Learn how you can reduce the spread @ #PlayCleanGo (playcleango.org)

Harrison Miles, a Ph.D. student in forest resources and environmental conservation, is studying the effects of using a native fungus on the spotted lanternfly's (SLF) preferred host, the tree-of-heaven. This fungus has the potential to help suppress SLF populations! www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNm_...

Recent pics from Dr. Bryan Brown's promotion seminar on "Biodiversity in River Networks". Dr. Brown has been an integral part of the ISC since its humble beginnings in 2016 and currently serves on the Steering Committee! He is also our go-to invasive crayfish person! 🦞

📢 Virginia Tech is hiring! 📢 Please reshare and promote! We are seeking an economist for a research & teaching position at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level in applied economics with a focus on #invasive species. For more info & to apply ➡️ careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us...

🦞 Invasive crayfish aren’t just competitors - they erase native symbionts. Check out the newest research by ISC affiliate Dr. Bryan Brown 🦞 Biological Invasions (open-access): link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Went hiking in Aoraki (Mt Cook) National Park - I’m pointing to the highest point in NZ. I have no words. @vt-invasivespecies.bsky.social representing in New Zealand!

Virginia Tech entomologist, Doug Pfeiffer, tells PBS NewsHour that invasive spotted lanternflies are here to stay, no matter how many of them you squish. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

A big shout-out to the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance (LIRA)! Thanks to their leadership and advocacy, Loudoun County, VA is rolling out a new $2 million program to help property owners remove invasive plants and replace them with native species 👏🌿 www.loudounnow.com/news/loudoun...

Congratulations to Dr. Esra Buyuktahtakin Toy for receiving a new grant from the VA Dept. of Forestry on "AI-Driven Decision Optimization for the Effective Management of Wavyleaf Grass Invasions in Virginia". Learn more about wavyleaf grass in Virginia here ➡️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-dA...

Several weeks ago, ISC students enrolled in the @globalchangevt.bsky.social IGC program participated in Blacksburg's annual Steppin' Out event. Their booth highlighted how people and communities are tackling global environmental challenges like #invasive species, climate change, and pollution.

Since 2002, Stroubles Creek has been designated as "impaired" by the U.S. EPA. Researchers in Sally Entrekin's Aquatic Entomology lab at VT study aquatic invertebrates in Stroubles to better understand stream health in response to restoration efforts 🐌🐟🌿 news.vt.edu/content/news...

At this year’s Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association Field Day, Fang-Ling Chloe Liu represented the ISC by sharing innovative research on using native ants as biosurveillance tools to detect spotted lanternfly infestations. #invasivespecies #spottedlanternfly #VNLA

Our partners at the Virginia Department of Forestry are hiring an Invasive Species Specialist! This position will support the VDOF's invasive species initiatives in central and western Virginia. To learn more and apply visit ➡️ www.jobs.virginia.gov/jobs/invasiv...

UPDATE 📢 The invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) has been confirmed in Virginia. Its current known distribution is in Clarke and Loudoun counties. Be sure to report any findings here! ➡️ lnkd.in/ehm3bdqH 🌱 Box Tree Moth ID - lnkd.in/equ7JWfm

🌎 Visit Ripples of Change at Steppin’ Out (Aug 1–2), Booth D23/D23A (Zone B) on Draper Rd! Created by IGC Fellows, this immersive art-science exhibit showcases real action on global change 🌱🎨 🔗 blacksburgsteppinout.com #GCCatVT #SteppinOut2025

Congratulations to Jordan Thompson for successfully defending her Master's thesis! Over the last two years, Jordan has studied the impacts of #invasive jumping worms. The ISC wishes her continued success as she embarks on the next stage of her career!👏📚

A new study led by #VirginiaTech researchers found that volunteer dog-handler teams — made up of everyday people and their pets — can effectively detect spotted lanternfly egg masses, an #invasive insect that's damaging farms and forests in the U.S. 🐕🐶🐩 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3A_...

The ISC had a great time at the annual College of Science Summer Camp! High school students rotated through several stations to learn about #invasivespecies ✅ Invasive ants, crayfish, & plants ✅ Ecosystem impacts in different systems ✅ And more! Until next year!

Congratulations to Grace! A current ISC affiliate and former ISC graduate student representative on the Steering Committee. A well-deserved fellowship awardee! 🎇

The #invasive Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis) has been confirmed in Hedgesville, WV - just 25 miles from Frederick County, Virginia. This pest feeds on boxwood, an important plant in landscaping and nursery industries. 📸 Report suspicious caterpillars/moths to your local #Extension office

🐜 Ants vs. Spotted Lanternfly? @vt-invasivespecies.bsky.social affiliate Dr. Scotty Yang is developing antDNA—a method using ants to detect invasive lanternflies before they’re seen. Published in Pest Management Science + NeoBiota. #GCCatVT #InvasiveSpecies

📢 The ISC is thrilled to announce the 2025-2026 Steering Committee! 📢 This dynamic group of individuals brings a wealth of expertise and passion for advancing invasive species research, education, and collaboration at Virginia Tech and beyond. More info ➡️ invasivespeciesvt.org/people/steer...

Environmental #restoration efforts after harmful events such as wildfires requires massive volumes of #NativeSeeds, but U.S. native seed suppliers have struggled to meet demand. Learn more from our #BasedOnScience page:

It's here, it's here! The ISC's quarterly newsletter has just been released ➡️ lnkd.in/ekzG-89B Not on our mailing list? Sign up here @ lnkd.in/eC7i-_e8

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is hiring! Duties include #invasivespecies management, biological resource monitoring, trail maintenance, and more 🪓🌿 The posting closes on 7/14 @ midnight. For more information and to apply ➡️ tinyurl.com/yh9druvf

The Town of Blacksburg Parks & Recreation is hosting a native planting day on Saturday, 7/12 🌻🌼🌱 📅 Saturday, July 12th from 9:00 a.m. to noon 📍 Lower Heritage Park Parking Lot | 2701 Meadowbrook Drive ❓ Contact Dylan Vines at [email protected] Register here ➡️ calendly.com/lweg/meadow?...

Did you know that dogs can be trained to detect aquatic invasive species? www.twincities.com/2025/06/14/d...

ISC affiliate - Dr. Scotty Yang - is leading the charge on new technology to screen for the invasive spotted lanternfly using ants and honeydew! 🐜🐜🐜 news.vt.edu/articles/202...

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is actively hiring an Invasive Species Coordinator! The job posting closes on Friday, July 11th at midnight. For more information and to apply ➡️ www.jobs.virginia.gov/jobs/invasiv...

CeZAP affiliate Dr. Kevin Lahmers addresses the rapid spread of the longhorned tick in the U.S. 🕷️ First detected in 2017, it's now in 21+ states—including recent reports in Connecticut—and spreading fast across the East. “The tick will be a nuisance, and it is spreading,” says Dr. Lahmers.

The ISC had fun hosting a workshop for Virginia's annual 4-H State Congress! Participants played a cooperative card game and worked together to manage invasive plants on their "properties". They learned that #invasivespecies management is all about strategy and patience!

ISC publication alert! 📢 The hemlock woolly adelgid is an #invasive insect threatening eastern and Carolina hemlock trees. Scientists have long used tiny beetles for control, and now they’re testing silver flies from the Pacific Northwest as a new line of defense. Read more ➡️ tinyurl.com/ms74wkfh

@invder.bsky.social, @gnriparian.bsky.social, and Harrison Miles participated in Cocktails & Conversations at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Speakers discussed how climate change is affecting weeds, #invasiveplants, and #restoration in the D.C. area. It was an engaging and inspirational evening! 🌳🌱

Celebrate #PlayCleanGo Awareness Week (June 7-14, 2025) by doing your part to protect the trails you love! Stay on designated paths and carry a handheld boot brush to clean your boots and gear on the go. Together we can prevent the spread of #invasivespecies! Learn more at ➡️ playcleango.org

ISC affiliate, Dr. Lindsay Miles, was recently featured on New York Public Radio's Science Friday! ⬇️🪳⬇️🪳⬇️ www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bed...

ISC affiliate, Dr. Lindsay Miles, was recently featured on New York Public Radio's Science Friday! ⬇️🪳⬇️🪳⬇️

The #VirginiaTech Board of Visitors approved promotions, tenure, and continued appointments at its June 3rd meeting. Congratulations to the following ISC affiliates! Promotion to associate professor with tenure 🎓🎉 Dr. Leighton Reid, #SPES Promotion to professor 🎓🎉 Dr. Esra Buyuktahtakin Toy, #ISE

Over the past year, the ISC has been busy supporting an #invasivespecies cluster hire. The Collaborative is excited to welcome four talented individuals! Let's welcome Dr. Dara Wald, Dr. Stacy Endriss, Dr. Robert Cooper, & Dr. Hannes De Deurwaerder to the Hokie Nation! 🎉🥳 tinyurl.com/3yevapbz

Seed dispersers are vanishing and that’s bad news for biodiversity and ecosystem resilience 🐦🌱 🐻 Human impacts, including #invasviespecies, are breaking these crucial animal-plant links. Learn more in this review article feat. Dr. Leighton Reid as a co-author: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Over 20 ISC affiliates gathered at Rising Silo Brewery to toast the end of another successful academic year! Here's to a well-deserved break, sunny days ahead, and the exciting adventures summer will bring 🌞🏝️ #summer2025 #vacation #recharge #poolside

ISC affiliates participated in a 2-day writing retreat to explore the eco-evolutionary consequences of #invasivespecies management actions. This team plans to generate a peer-reviewed manuscript that will be published sometime in 2026! ☕🧠📝

Attention private pond owners in northern Virginia: #VDACS is funding a FREE water chestnut control program! Water chestnut is an #invasive aquatic plant that can drastically alter native habitats and affect recreationists 🎣🛶 Program details ➡️ www.vawaters.com/water-chestn...

VA landowners: Got ash trees? You can help protect them against invasive emerald ash borers (EAB) 🪲 The 2025 "EAB Treatment Cost-Share Program" is now open! Get up to 70% of treatment costs covered if your tree is 12" or more in diameter & has less than 30% dieback. Details 👉 tinyurl.com/mt5jbkwr

From campus to park trails, the @vt-invasivespecies.bsky.social & BERI Community Day brought research, restoration, & outreach together. From stream exploration to invasive plant walks, the event highlighted hands-on science & community care. globalchange.vt.edu/news/news-st...

HOT OFF THE PRESS We explore how climate change may affect introduction pathways of non-native species into protected areas including altering transportation routes, natural dispersal mechanisms & modifying human behaviors (forced migration and shifting travel destinations) doi.org/10.1007/s105...

The Yang Lab is on a roll! 🐜🐜🐜 Congratulations to Fang-Ling Liu and Dr. Scotty Yang for their most recent publications ⬇️ Fire ants & behavioral immunity: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Using ants to detect spotted lanternfly DNA: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40270475/#:~....