Invasive Species Collaborative at Virginia Tech

?? Alert: Urgent Threat from New World Screwworm! ?? The recent detection of New World screwworm in Mexico poses a significant risk to livestock, wildlife, and even humans across North America. This invasive pest feeds on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing severe infections that can be fatal if untreated. Learn how USDA and its partners are working to stop the spread and what steps you can take to protect your animals and ecosystems. Photo credit: USDA APHIS ?? Together, we can prevent this devastating pest from reaching U.S. soil. https://bit.ly/3CEB3WP #InvasiveSpecies #Screwworm #AnimalHealth #ProtectOurEcosystems #NAISMA

A tremendous thank you to guest lecturers Dr. Haldre Rogers, Dr. Joe Drake, Dr. Warren Booth, Gabrielle Ripa, and Dr. Bryan Brown for sharing their #invasivespecies expertise with undergraduate and graduate students in the fall "Biological Invasions" course! ????????

UNWANTED: Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is an invasive pest that can significantly damage and potentially kill boxwood (Buxus species) plants if left unchecked. The caterpillars are ravenous feeders, and heavy infestations can completely defoliate host plants. After the leaves are gone, they feed on the bark which eventually kills the plant. Boxwoods are a popular ornamental evergreen shrub common to many landscape environments in the United States. COMMONLY FOUND: New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. SPOT IT. REPORT IT! Outside commonly found area (or established area). If you think you've seen signs of this pest, immediately report it to your State plant regulatory official. https://lnkd.in/g7R5_UxR

Dr. Dara Wald, one of the ISC's newest affiliates, has been named a 2024 #AndrewCarnegieFellow! Her project, “The Polarization of Science, Source Credibility, and the Public Good,” will examine how perceptions of scientific source credibility vary across the political spectrum and shape polarized responses to environmental policies. Congrats, Dara! https://lnkd.in/ddkqkX7x)

?? Join the team! ?? The College of Science at #VirginiaTech seeks applicants for a 9-month research and teaching tenure-track position at any rank in the area of environmental data science as part of a campus-wide #invasivespecies cluster hire located at the Blacksburg, VA campus. The position will concentrate on understanding the complex factors that shape invasive species spread, occurrence, and persistence to inform #EDRR and long-term management of invasive species. The focus of the position is to develop an innovative research program in retrospective and predictive modeling of invasive species at any organismal scale that reconstructs or predicts invasive species risk, spread, and impacts. Research may be applied or basic, empirical or theoretical, focused on known or novel invasive species, and performed at any geographical scale or region. The successful candidate is also expected to participate in Virginia Tech’s #ISC as a faculty affiliate. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/evEAtPWe #WeAreHiring The Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment

#WeAreHiring! Join our team doing impactful work. Our team is seeking a Restoration Ecologist for Virginia's Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (Trust Fund). This role is ideal for someone who loves fieldwork and has the skills to lead a team in monitoring ecological conditions for stream and wetland mitigation projects. In addition to leading our monitoring team, the position will provide project coordination support for aquatic resource mitigation activities.? Interested candidates should apply through TNC’s careers page using the link below https://nature.ly/4fTkOne Search Job ID #: 55849

Help implement the Virginia Invasive Species Management Plan and protect natural heritage resources by joining DCR's Natural Heritage Program. Two invasive species specialists will assist with monitoring, early detection, and rapid response to emerging invasive species threats across the Commonwealth. Field operations will include invasive species removal, surveys, and restoration of native plant species. The specialists will collect, aggregate, and maintain data on invasive species. ?? Job based in Richmond. Find more details and apply today: https://lnkd.in/ex3h8WBb ??? (Closing Nov. 28, 2024) More DCR jobs posted at https://lnkd.in/ecj8mEt.

Did you know that tiny seeds of invasive plants can hide in the soles of your shoes? On this #MakeaDifferenceDay, we're spotlighting how small changes create big impact! From the collaborative efforts of #CharlesCityVA, the #VirginiaDepartmentofForestry and PlanRVA, visitors to Lawrence Lewis Jr Park will find a new educational marker and boot cleaner, installed on 10/17 to remind folks to "Wipe Your Feet!" Learn more about Virginia's invasive plants at the VA Department of Forestry's website: https://ow.ly/TSkO50TSF10 #makeadifference #stopinvasiveplantspread #CharlesCityCounty #LawrenceLewisJrPark #VADeptofForestry #VATrails

Carrie Fearer (#ISC Steering Committee member and affiliate) joined?Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations”?to talk about forest health in the wake of natural disasters. She explained how storms and disturbances affect #forestecosystems, the importance of human interaction in promoting healthy forests, and the opportunities for restoration following catastrophic events. Carrie also emphasized the significance of #nativespecies and the role of decomposition in maintaining forest health. https://lnkd.in/eys6vp-G

Become an integral part of DCR's Natural Heritage Program as a Staff Botanist, a full-time salaried position. Join our effort to protect Virginia's natural heritage resources. Staff Botanist will conduct field inventories of tracked elements of biodiversity, including mapping, assessing the condition of and threats, and completing field data. ??? They will work with the Senior Botanist to review, analyze, and evaluate the protection and conservation of the Commonwealth’s natural heritage resources. ?? Job based in Richmond, Virginia, with frequent statewide travel during field season (April through October). Find more details and apply today: https://lnkd.in/eBDj4v5K (Closing: Dec. 9, 2024) More DCR jobs posted at https://lnkd.in/ecj8mEt.