The spotted lanternfly is a landscape-level invasive pest, feeding on more than 70 plant species. Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

Combating Invasive Species in the Blue Ridge

When Rod and Maggie Walker visited the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the first time, they immediately fell in love with the area. Before long, they were looking at property and considering a permanent move. They eventually settled on a 20-acre parcel that backs up to Shenandoah National Park.

“When we bought it 20 years ago, we noticed these little vines in three or four places growing up trees,” Rod said. “We didn’t really realize at the time how impactful this was going to be. Fast forward 15 years, you could not walk into it any more than you could walk through a wall. The trees were coming down because the vines were pulling them down. We literally