Nature enthusiasts once aided species invasions
In 1890, a single individual went to great lengths to introduce English bird life to North America, including some notorious pests such as starlings. (NPS)
DB: This is Earth & Sky. We spoke with J. R. McNeill, professor of history at Georgetown University.
_JB: And author of Something New Under the Sun An Environmental History of the 20th-Century World. He told us that in the 18th and 19th centuries, nature enthusiasts often intentionally transported creatures and seeds over long distances – even across oceans.
J.R. McNeill: Thomas Jefferson was one such, he wanted to establish mulberry trees and silkworm culture in Virginia, for example. And there was a fellow in the 1890s who allegedly had decided that what North America really needed was all the birds mentioned anywhere in the works of Shakespeare.
DB: That Shakespeare fan released about 100 starlings in New York’s Central Park in 1890. Today, there are about 200 million starlings in North America, and that’s generally considered not a good thing.
J.R. McNeill: The main difference here is the notion that there’s some inherent value to the stability of ecosystems. And if one accepts that principle, as, by and large, increasing numbers of people and policy makers now do, then preventing biological invasions becomes an important goal. Whereas a 100 years ago, 200 years ago, assisting biological invasions seemed to make sense.
JB: We have more about the relationship between humans and nature – what we call the Human World – at earthsky.org. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth & Sky.
Our thanks to:
John McNeill
Professor of History and Director of Graduate Studies
Core Faculty, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Cinco Hermanos Chair of Environment and International Affairs,
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Additional Teacher Resources
USDA: National Invasive Species Information Center
The National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) is a gateway to invasive species information; covering Federal, State, local, and international sources.
Ecological Society of America: Why are Invasive Species a Problem?
Invasive species may negatively impact native species in any number of ways, including eating them, competing with them, interbreeding with them, or introducing pathogens and parasites that sicken or kill them. Invasive species affect nearly all habitats on Earth, ranging from wilderness areas, to croplands, rangelands, and forests, as well as freshwater and marine ecosystems. Invasive species can be thought of as biological pollutants, with potentially severe impacts on the ecosystems they inhabit.
