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Mitigating invasive species through transdisciplinary science headlines symposium and community day

A representative of the Southwestern Virginia Wildlife Center educating families about an American Kestral named Captain Jack Sparrow at the Rising Silo Brewery for the Invasive Species and Restoration Community Day on April 26, 2025. Photo by Felicia Spencer for Virginia Tech.

This last Friday, April 25, the Invasive Species Collaborative (ISC) hosted their annual symposium. In attendance were affiliates that represented colleges across campus who value the collaborative approach the Collaborative takes in its support for necessary and innovative research.

Many affiliates gave short presentations of their current research projects and invited anyone interested to consider working together. These topics ranged from invasive plants, urban pests, and non-native species to invasive cancer cells.

The ISC symposium ended the afternoon with a poster session where attendees enjoyed continuing discussions of their shared research interests. Photo by Felicia Spencer for Virginia Tech.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Aníbal Pauchard, Professor at Universidad de Concepción and Director Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), who shared his insights on the development of the international Invasive Alien Species Assessment, of which he served as co-chair. 

The afternoon ended with a poster session and refreshments so that attendees could share and discuss their mutual research interests and consider future collaborations.

The keynote speaker for the ISC symposium was Dr. Aníbal Pauchard, Professor at Universidad de Concepción and Director Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB). Photo by Felicia Spencer.

The ISC continued the fun on Saturday, April 26, for Invasive Species & Restoration Community Day, which was co-sponsored with the Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Initiative and the Town of Blacksburg.

Beginning at Heritage Park, attendees were treated to a discussion and hands-on fun learning about the water in the park stream by Johnathan Czuba, associate professor of biological systems engineering, and Bryan Brown, associate professor of biological sciences. 

Carol Davis, the sustainability manager for the Town of Blacksburg, and  Leighton Reed, assistant professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, led others in describing the efforts to rid the park of invasive plants and to reclaim the valuable wetlands there. Tess Thompson, associate professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, also helped with the restoration walk and talk.

 

ISC affiliates Johnathan Czuba, associate professor of biological systems engineering, and Bryan Brown, associate professor of biological sciences led discussions about the water at Heritage Park. Photo by Felicia Spencer for Virginia Tech.

Later in the day, the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center regaled families at the Rising Silo Brewery about several native species represented by Baldwin the dwarf squirrel, Koda the Big Brown Bat, and Captain Jack Sparrowhawk the American Kestrel. 

 

Baldwin the dwarf squirrel is an ambassador for the Southwestern Virginia Wildlife Center to help educate the public about the native wildlife in the region. Photo by Felicia Spencer for Virginia Tech.

While at Rising Silo Brewery, community members also had the opportunity to participate in a partner and graduate student meet & greet from 3:00-6:30 p.m. Students shared research on red imported fire ants, invasive earthworms, laurel wilt, brown tree snakes, and native grassland ecology. Additionally, state agency and nonprofit partners shared their knowledge and expertise on invasive species identification and management.

Participating partners included the following: