For Earth Day and Every Day: Repel the Alien Invaders!

On Earth Day, the Fairfield Sun newspaper ran a piece in which it asked a number of prominent conservationists about what individuals can do to make the planet a better place. Our senior director of science and conservation, Milan Bull, discussed the problems caused by invasive species, which the Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality has called “the single biggest threat to Connecticut’s natural ecosystems.”

Milan Bull, senior director of science and conservation. Photo courtesy of the Fairfield Sun

Here’s what Miley said:

“What is harming not only Fairfield, but really the whole country is the influx of invasive species that we have now. Everywhere you look, all the plantings people put in their yards are cultivars. Nurseries sell them as disease- and insect-resistant because they come from another country, usually Asia. If you bring a plant in from Asia it either it can’t do well, or it does really well — as there are no predators to eat it. Insects and plants evolve together. Plants evolve toxins so insects don’t eat them and insects develop mechanisms to get around this. So if you take a plant from another country and bring it over here, it has toxins our insects haven’t had to deal with, so they can’t eat that plant. Because insects don’t eat them, we now have all these neighborhoods that are so full of foreign insect-resistant species that there are no insects for the birds. That decreases biodiversity. On a large scale it’s a big problem. It throws a monkey wrench in the whole web of life.

“One thing I would suggest is that people learn about what native plants that are beautiful and attractive and can still be helpful to wildlife. They should plant these when they are buying a house or landscaping.

“Another thing is to reduce the use of pesticides. We need to look at a better way to manage insect control other than put hard-core chemicals out. Consider having a little birdscaping area in your yard where things are natural.

“Keep in mind that we are trying to live with nature, not against it.”