Once you've taken enough hikes around an area, you're bound to start noticing and recognizing different plants and animals (if you're anything like me, you'll take pictures of everything you see and identify it immediately using iNaturalist). Many plants and animals we come across are familiar because they are native to our area, meaning these species have existed and evolved in a particular area or region over hundreds or thousands of years. There are a lot of species, however, which are abundant and appear as if they belong, when in reality they are what we would consider invasive (not necessarily synonymous with non-native), meaning they are harmful to the area and typically didn't grow and evolve with other native species in the habitat.
In this presentation I explore habitat types of Banshee Reeks in a bit more detail, describe indigenous (native) plant and animals found in each habitat, and highlight various common invasive plant and animals species which occur on the property.
Enjoy! (click on the Gear and select 'open speaker notes' for more in depth information!)