There’s a 13-acre nature preserve at Marist College, where I teach environmental journalism, called Fern Tor. 

Most students don’t know about it, so last month I took my class to explore the preserve and to illustrate that, when we go into the woods or on the river, we need to be alert for stories. What is the environment telling us?

For example, since tor means rocky outcropping, will we see rocky outcroppings? (We did.) Why are those two trees dying? (Proximity to the train tracks.) Is the preserve large and healthy enough to support animals larger than squirrels? (Yes, judging from the wild turkeys.)

Then we came across a corridor of towering white bushes. They were glorious, but the understory is darker. We were in the two-week annual window when Japanese knotweed bloom. It was easy to see why people imported them in the 19th century: They smelled heavenly. The plant was prized for its ability to grow up to 10 feet a year, creating quick privacy fences on gilded estates. 

Japanese knotweed in bloom at Fern Tor
Japanese knotweed in bloom at Fern Tor (Photos by B. Cronin)

But that rapid growth means that Japanese knotweed shades out native species, which soon die. The roots are strong enough to crack home foundations, and the stalks can rise through sidewalks. Cutting it back encourages the roots to send up more stalks. Even if dug up, the plant can reproduce from a single rhizome. 

That’s a story. And here’s another: How we talk about problematic plants can be problematic. 

Many scientists, researchers and journalists would like to change the language we use to discuss invasives. For instance, the preferred scientific name for the gypsy moth is now spongy moth, because gypsy is a slur for Romani people. Spongy moth was chosen because it describes the egg sacs the moths lay.

That’s becoming the pattern: Rename invasives for a distinguishing characteristic. The Asian Carp is now the Bighead Carp, the Asian Giant Hornet (nicknamed the “murder hornet” because they rip the heads off honeybees) is now the Northern Giant Hornet (because it’s from northern Asia).

Japanese knotweed is still Japanese knotweed. But, at a recent symposium of local scientists and researchers, we discussed what names could be used instead. Calling it “knotweed” doesn’t work because there are other species with knotweed in their names. “Invasive knotweed” was the best we could come up with, but that isn’t specific enough for scientific use. 

Japanese Knotweed blooming in the Catskills
Japanese Knotweed blooming in the Catskills

Journalists can change the language we use more easily than scientists. If we write about Japanese knotweed “eradicating” native species, or even the need to “fight” invasive species, we’re establishing a narrative that anything that isn’t from here is dangerous and needs to be destroyed. But not every species that came here only recently causes ecological problems; we use “non-native” to refer to them.

Aggressive language also confers a negative agency to species, as if they came here with the express purpose of laying waste. It’s not the plants’ fault they’re here, they were brought by people. The problem is us. 

Even “invasive” has negative connotations, but no one has been able to come up with a suitable replacement (“Colonizing species”?).

What can we do? A scientist I interviewed years ago explained that the problem with invasive species is that they transform thriving and diverse ecosystems into monocultures, making them more vulnerable to outside threats. For an ecosystem, strength comes from diverse species mutually thriving and supporting each other. That’s a story worth telling.

Behind The Story

Type: Opinion

Opinion: Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.

The Skidmore College graduate has reported for The Current since 2014 and taught journalism at Marist College since 2018. Location: Beacon. Languages: English. Areas of Expertise: Environment, outdoors

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