Appalachian Trail

• Invasive species – including plants, animals and fish – cause heavy damage to crops, wildlife and human health worldwide.
• Some prey on native species; other out-compete them for space and food or spread disease.
• These recent articles from The Conversation describe how several invasive species are causing economic and ecological harm across the U.S.

1. The best intentions: Callery pear trees

• Horticulturists loved the Callery pear for landscaping and wanted to produce trees that all grew and bloomed in the same way.
• Unlike some trees, a Callery pear can’t fertilize its flowers with its own pollen, so plant experts thought it wouldn’t spread.
• Today, Callery pear trees are such scourges that several states have banned them.
• Read more:
  Once the Callery pear tree was landscapers' favorite – now states are banning this invasive species and urging homeowners to cut it down

2. Tiny organisms, big impacts: Zebra and quagga mussels

• Zebra and quagga mussels – shellfish the size of a fingernail – invaded the Great Lakes in the 1980s, clogging water intake pipes and out-competing native mollusks for food.
• Now they’re spreading west via rivers, lakes and bays, threatening waters all the way to the Pacific coast and Alaska.
• Limiting the destructive impacts of invasive species “requires scientific, technological and historical knowledge, political will and skill to persuade the public that everyone is part of the solution.”

  Read more:
  The westward spread of zebra and quagga mussels shows how tiny invaders can cause big problems

3. Threatening entire ecosystems: Lionfish

• Consider the Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans), which has spread throughout the Caribbean and now is moving south along Brazil’s coast.
• Lionfish thrive in many ocean habitats, from coastal mangrove forests to deepwater reefs, and they prey on numerous smaller fish species.
• Read more:
  Invasive lionfish have spread south from the Caribbean to Brazil, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods

4. The value of acting locally

• BOSTON, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) purchased the nearly 27,000-acre Pleasant River Headwaters Forest in Piscataquis County, Maine, for $18.5 million from The Conservation Fund.
• The purchase, first agreed to in 2019, is part of Appalachian Mountain Club's Maine Woods Initiative, the most important multi-use recreation and land conservation project in the United States today.
• The Pleasant River Headwaters Forest is an especially high priority for the Appalachian Mountain Club because it is adjacent to 75,000 acres currently owned and managed by AMC.
• "A century ago, the founders of the Appalachian Mountain Club established a tremendous legacy when their advocacy efforts resulted in the creation of the White Mountain National Forest," added Arnold.

• "The camping community has grown so much over the years and is becoming more representative of our country as a whole," says Sarah Smith, founder of The Dyrt.
• "Campers come in all shapes and sizes with different wants and needs and the 2022 Best Places to Camp reflect that.
• There are luxurious camping resorts, family-friendly spots, some sites that are near cities and others out in the middle of nowhere.
• With over 30 million annual camper visits and 4 million user-generated reviews, photos, and tips for US campgrounds, The Dyrt is the No.

• Lined with rugged backcountry, regal forests, resplendent waterfalls and stunning rock formations, the Cumberland Trail also boasts a momentous human history and cultural landmarks dating back millennia.
• "So we want to leave this trail not just for ourselves and our grandchildren, but for our grandchildren's grandchildren."
• The Cumberland Trail State Park isn't however just a tool for preserving wildlands and protecting the past for future generations.
• The CT will in turn serve as Tennessee's invaluable contribution to the as-yet-unfinished Great Eastern Trail, which parallels much of the Appalachian Trail to the west.