I want to protect the places I love most, like Kent's Ledge: my favorite hiking spot in Vermont. Photo Courtesy Katherine Cantor.
An orange-headed lizard scurries past me on the beach near my family’s home in Florida. Those bright lizards pop up everywhere, but they’re not meant to be in the state. They’re not the only species I’ve seen that aren’t supposed to be there. For example, snake plants have been taking over the sea grapes that I used to love to eat and that keep the sand dunes near my home stable.
Moving to Vermont, I thought I’d put my days of being surrounded by invasive species—non-native species that damage their new environments—behind me. I’ve learned a stark truth: invasives are here, too. Much of New England faces the same problems that I saw living in South Florida: invasive species harming the land and people.
In Vermont, the problem looks a bit different. It’s not orange lizards, but Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a tiny insect, destroying the hemlock trees in my favorite hiking spot, Kent’s Ledge. Instead of snake plants taking over sea grapes, it’s Japanese Knotweed taking over the ecologically important native plants along the riverbank near my backyard. But just what are invasive species, how do they cause harm, and what do they mean for Vermonters?
What Are Invasive Species?
Invasive species can be plants, animals, or other organisms. They cause problems when they move to an environment they don’t naturally exist in. I don’t have a grudge against snake plants for no reason. They’re pretty, but they damage South Florida’s ecosystems, just like Japanese Knotweed damages Vermont’s by crowding out the native plants holding streambanks in place. People introduced Japanese knotweed to Vermont, like with most invasives. It was sold as an ornamental plant and, ironically, to control erosion on riverbanks. Invasives aren’t inherently bad. They’re normal and healthy in the environments they’re native to, but they can cause serious harm in other places.
Not all non-native species (species not originally from the area they are now in) are invasive, like apple trees. The difference is that they don’t cause any problems. Invasives, on the other hand, are inherently harmful because they take over their new environments. Invasive plants can crowd or shade out native plants, steal valuable nutrients and water, or literally poison the plants around them. Invasive animals and insects are no better, stealing food, water, and shelter from natives, or just eating native species, both leading to potential extinctions. Importantly, losing native species means losing a functioning ecosystem.
Not On My Riverbanks! Japanese Knotweed as a Cautionary Tale
I love living near the White River. Summers at the river feel like the quintessential Vermont experience. But, like many Vermonters, the flood risk worries me. Various native plants used to hold the river’s banks intact, but now, Japanese Knotweed has taken over. Unfortunately, like snake plants on the sand dunes near my family in Florida, Japanese Knotweed spreads quickly.
Knotweed shades out native plants on rivers and streambanks, leaving banks of only the invasive species. Losing native plants has a cascading effect: losing food for native birds and butterflies, predators of other insects, food for bigger animals, and more. A lack of native species negatively affects the whole food system, the air, and the water. Some native species, called keystone species (like beavers), dictate the entire structure and biodiversity present in an ecosystem.
Native plants along rivers play another important role through their ability to prevent erosion—the loss of soil—especially in Florida and Vermont. Natives have longer and sturdier roots than Knotweed’s shallow rhizomes (a root-like stem), so we need them to hold Vermont’s banks in place. Additionally, because Knotweed’s stems die back with frost, they can leave banks unprotected entirely.
Weakened riverbanks and increased erosion can mean more flooding, something that Vermonters have had more than their fair share of. This is the impact of just one invasive species. Many others across Vermont are harming the places we treasure.
Why Does This Matter, And What Can We Do?
Have you ever wanted to go swimming and had to skip it due to the harmful algae in the water? Do you get frustrated picking ticks off of your dog—or yourself—after hikes? Have erosion and flooding around streams and rivers damaged your property? The reality is that invasive species negatively impact your everyday life.
Despite being over 1,000 miles apart, what I learned living in Florida is true for Vermont. Unless we reduce the number of invasive species and prevent their spread, all those problems will only get worse. Fortunately, we can all help!
CLF’s Lake Champlain Senior Lakekeeper, Julie Silverman, partners with multiple organizations working to combat aquatic invasive species. She also monitors those species during field work, tracks and influences policies to manage them, weighs in on related legislation, and participates in community outreach and education.
You can do your part, too! To stop the spread of invasives, clean, drain, and dry your gear after it’s been in the water—and remember it’s against the law to transport plants from the water. You can also get involved locally:
- Volunteer as a Vermont Invasive Patroller
- Help educate lake-goers and inspect watercraft as a volunteer Public Access Greeter
- Join the Champlain Aquatic invasive Monitoring Program
- Check out this list of invasive species in your area to learn how to identify and properly remove them
- Contact your legislators and local policymakers about your concerns; in Vermont, the sale, movement, and distribution of Japanese Knotweed is already prohibited!
From Florida to Vermont, the message is clear: invasive species will continue to harm our everyday lives, so it’s up to us to make a difference for the places and people we love.
Katherine Cantor was a Clean Energy and Climate 2026 Summer Intern for CLF.
