Invasive Species, Native Myths & the Ethics of Place

In this episode of the Discover Permaculture Podcast, we explore one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged topics in ecology: invasive species. Are non-native plants and animals always destructive? Or are they often responding to damaged ecosystems—filling gaps, building soil, and restoring function where humans have removed it?

Watch the video episode here. 

Key Takeaways:

00:00 – 02:30: “Invasive species” is more than a scientific term. It carries fear, values, and moral judgment — which often shuts down real ecological thinking before it begins.

02:30 – 05:00: Public debate collapses into emotion fast. This conversation isn’t defending negligence — it’s questioning whether outrage is replacing evidence.

05:00 – 11:30: Introduced plants are condemned while quietly performing critical ecological roles. Management often targets labels instead of outcomes.

11:30 – 15:00: If killing a plant causes erosion, loss of habitat, or system failure, the issue may be management — not the plant itself.

15:00 – 18:10: Instead of asking where a species came from, ask what it’s doing. Function changes everything.

18:10 – 20:30: Healthy ecosystems are defined by relationships and roles, not purity. Remove function and systems fail.

20:30 – 22:20: Ecosystems move through stages. Good management works with succession instead of freezing landscapes in time.

22:20 – 25:30: Purity thinking flattens complexity. When conservation becomes moral absolutism, it stops being ecological.

25:30 – 32:00: Many landscapes are already new. The question isn’t whether they belong — it’s how well they function.

32:00 – 36:30: Much restoration is driven by nostalgia. Living systems respond to present conditions, not historical ideals.

36:30 – 41:00: Societies reliant on introduced crops still condemn introduced plants elsewhere. That contradiction exposes selective thinking.

41:00 – 49:30: Small, well-managed systems show what works. Soil health, water cycling, and yield matter more than labels.

49:30 – 01:02:00: The future isn’t purity. It’s functional systems, living soils, and working with what’s already alive.